The village of Certosa/Karthaus in Schnalstal Valley has a unique history, having evolved from a
monastery of the Carthusian order. If you go through Certosa/Karthaus today, you will recognise the former monastery and notice the striking silence. The silence was left behind from the original inhabitants. It provided the idea for the “Silentium” project which demonstrates the uniqueness of Certosa/Karthaus.
A captivating video at the historic cloister tells us why the Count of Tirol wished to endow a monastery in the distant year of 1325 and why the monks decided to impose a vow of silence on themselves in this secluded place. The monastery, then called Allerengelberg, was a working monastery for 450 years. In 1782, Emperor Joseph II ordered its dissolution. Because nobody wanted to take over an entire empty monastery in this secluded area, the 12 monks’ cells, the large prior’s house and the beautiful monastery church were sold to poor families from the area. This is how the village of Certosa/Karthaus evolved over time from the Carthusian Monastery. In 1924, it burnt to the ground but was later re-built.