One night in 1084, St Hugues, Bishop of Grenoble, dreamed of 7 stars lighting up. It turned out to be an enlightening vision predicting the arrival of 7 men searching for alpine solitude, where they could praise God far from the hustle and bustle of the world.
Their guide was Bruno de Cologne who, aged 54, wanted to flee the agitation of the century.
Hugues led them through a maze of steep mountains to a wilderness of rocks and pine trees, known as The Désert de Chartreuse.
There, they built wooden cabins, the Notre-Dame de Casalibus, and a stone oratory; a sparse refuge from which the Grande Chartreuse was born.
On this same site, their presence has been like the diffusion of incense for 9 centuries. Secluded in their Désert de Chartreuse, secluded in their monastery and, if that wasn't enough, secluded in their cell.
They radically limit the comfort of community life, giving priority to soliloquy prayers, meditation and work.
This voluntary retreat means they cannot welcome us nor meet with us, and obviously we cannot enter into the monastery. The museum gives an insight into life of the Carthusian monks and provides the key to their mystery.
