Charterhouse of Farneta

The church and monastery date back to the mid-14th century, with some renovations in the late 17th century.

At the beginning of Twentieth century the facility was considerably enlarged to accommodate the community of the Grande Chartreuse expelled from the France. Farneta was the mother house of the Carthusian Order from 1903 to 1940.

During the last phase of WWII, the monks, with the support of Archbishop Antonio Torrini, took in civilian refugees, Jews and partisans.

The night between 1 and 2 September 1944 the retreating SS broke into the Charterhouse with a stratagem, rounded up the 100 or so people present, corralled them and forced the monks to wear civilian clothes.

The next day the prisoners were transported in three lorries to an oil mill in Nocchi di Camaiore, where they suffered violence and decimation.

On 4 September, not far from Nocchi, at Pioppetti, as many as 35 people were killed, about 20 of them from the Charterhouse.

At dawn on 6 September, the SS divided the remaining prisoners into three groups.

The first, composed of some 15 Carthusians, among whom the master father and the novice bishop, was transferred near Camaiore. The two prelates were shot on the morning of the 7th during a transfer on foot from the Camaiore prison to Fort Malaspina in Massa.

The second group, consisting of all the other fathers, was taken on a 4 km walk to the Sammellager in Carrara, where a new selection took place: two fathers and six brothers considered unfit for work were transferred to fort Malaspina. Here they were joined by the veterans of the first group, these ten clergy were shot dead on the 10th, together with 27 other people (7 of them from the Charterhouse) at Fosse del Frigido.

The third group, made up of the youngest and most valuable, was imprisoned in the Dogali prison in Carrara and then deported to Germany.

The Carthusian monks were awarded the Gold Medal of Civil Valour whereas the procurator, Father Gabriele Costa was awarded the Gold Medal of Civil Valour.

Two plaques were placed on the walls of the Charterhouse, one in 1954 and one in 1985.