The Carthusians: Solitary Lives Dedicated to Pure Contemplation
/ Adobe Stock) Sadly, the first hermitage built by Bruno did not stand the test of time. In 1132 AD it was destroyed by an avalanche, with 7 monks losing their lives in the event. The hermitage was rebuilt anew by the fifth prior, Guigo of Saint Romain. Over the course of the centuries, the Grande Chartreuse grew into a splendid and elaborate monastery. Quite remote and surrounded by the dense forests of the French Alp landscape, this hermitage is, in many ways, cut off from the outside world. Life there is all about peace, silence, and solitude, the defining features of monastic life.