Chartreuse de la Verne, Carthusian monastery in Collobrières, France

Chartreuse de la Verne is a Carthusian monastery on a plateau-like spur at 415 m in the Massif des Maures, surrounded by protective walls. The surviving buildings date mainly from the 17th and 18th centuries and use green serpentine from La Môle for portals, pediments and window surrounds, contrasting with schist walls. The complex is divided into three parts: the Lower House with the bakery and oil mill, the middle part with the Romanesque church rebuilt after 2000, and the northern cloister of solitude with 13 cells.

Founded in 1170 by Pierre Isnard, Bishop of Toulon, and Frédol d'Anduze, Bishop of Fréjus, with monks from the Grande Chartreuse, the monastery's first Romanesque church was consecrated on 3 October 1174. Fires in 1214, 1271 and 1318 destroyed all but the church, and the buildings were looted in 1416 by the lords of Bormes. Confiscated in 1790 and sold in 1792, the complex was classified as a monument historique on 18 January 1921.

Since 1983 about thirty members of the Monastic Family of Bethlehem, of the Assumption of the Virgin and of Saint Bruno have lived in the monastery. They occupy the northern part, the cloister of solitude flanked by 13 cells with gardens, which is closed to the public. The community also keeps the former lay brothers' quarters, with its bakery, oil mill and cellar, in use.

The monastery can be visited during daylight hours, though some days may have limited access, so checking in advance helps avoid disappointment. Sturdy footwear is recommended since the approach winds through forest and the terrain is uneven.

In the cloister courtyard lies the Carthusian cemetery, where about 800 monks were buried between the 12th century and the French Revolution. The northern part of the complex, the "cloister of solitude", is lined by 13 cells with their small gardens and is closed to the public.