The Charterhouse of Žiče – Geography, History, Development, and Fortified Character

The Charterhouse of Žiče, one of the earliest Carthusian monasteries outside France, was founded between 1155 and 1165 as the 19th charterhouse of the order. Carthusians were also active in what is now Slovenia in Jurklošter (1173), Bistra (1260), and Pleterje (1403), with Pleterje being the only one still functioning today. The founders of the Žiče charterhouse were Ottokar III, the Styrian margrave, and his son Ottokar IV, the first duke of Styria, who sought to establish a secluded site suitable for strict contemplative life.

Geographical Setting

The remains of the former monastery lie 4 km southwest of Slovenske Konjice, in the narrow and secluded Valley of St. John, on the southern edge of the Konjiška Gora range. This naturally enclosed and remote landscape was ideal for the Carthusian way of life, which emphasized silence, solitude, and separation from the world. About 1.5 km to the east, in Špitalič, stands the church of the Visitation of Mary, originally part of the lower monastery and its hospice for lay brothers and travellers.

Origins and French Influence

The first monks who settled in the valley came from the motherhouse, the Grande Chartreuse near Grenoble, including the future first prior Beremund, Count of Cornwall. Their presence strongly shaped the architecture, organization, and spiritual character of the new foundation.

Under the direction of the building master, the lay brother Aynard, the community constructed:

  • the upper monastery with twelve hermit cells and the church of St. John the Baptist,

  • the lower monastery for sixteen lay brothers (conversi), who provided the economic and manual support for the charterhouse,

  • the hospice in Špitalič, dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

A provisional settlement existed by 1165, and the church of St. John the Baptist was consecrated in 1190 by the Patriarch of Aquileia, Berthold.

Rise Within the Carthusian Order

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Žiče charterhouse became one of the most important centres of the Carthusian Order:

  • from 1335 to 1355 it served as the seat of the German province,

  • from 1391 to 1410 it was the seat of the general prior of the Roman obedience.

For a time, Žiče even assumed the role of the central charterhouse, replacing the Grande Chartreuse in France. It was here that the order’s policies were shaped, decisions on new foundations were made, and major administrative matters were settled. Numerous church dignitaries and nobles visited the monastery, attesting to its prestige.

Was the Charterhouse Built as a Fortress?

The Žiče charterhouse was not originally designed as a fortress. Carthusian monasteries were conceived as open, contemplative spaces without pronounced defensive structures. However, Turkish incursions and peasant uprisings in the 15th and 16th centuries made additional protection necessary. During this period:

  • walls with towers were erected,

  • access points were fortified,

  • the lower monastery, more exposed to danger, was gradually abandoned.

These later interventions give the site a partially fortified appearance today, but this character is not original; it reflects later defensive needs rather than the initial monastic design.

Dissolution and Later Ownership

In 1782, Emperor Joseph II dissolved the monastery as part of his Enlightenment reforms, which viewed contemplative orders as economically unproductive. At the time, fifteen monks lived in the charterhouse; after the dissolution, they dispersed.

In 1828, the decaying complex was purchased from the religious fund by Prince Weriand von Windischgrätz, and it remained in the family’s possession until the end of the Second World War.

Architecture, Ruins, and Cultural Heritage

The most imposing surviving structure is the great monastic church of St. John the Baptist, which gave its name to the entire valley. Other preserved or excavated elements include:

  • Ottokar’s Chapel,

  • the refectory,

  • cellars and kitchen,

  • the upper-storey wing,

  • the cloister,

  • the cemetery chapel.

The monastery’s library was especially renowned. In 1487, the traveller Paolo Santonino recorded that it contained more than 2,000 manuscripts, surpassing all neighbouring monasteries. Today, about 120 medieval manuscripts are known, mostly preserved outside Slovenia, distinguished by the characteristic “Žiče style” of illuminated initials.