Around 1200, the Carthusians moved from the Carthusian monastery of Madonna della Losa in Gravere to Montebenedetto, where they remained until the end of the 15th century, when, due to a disastrous flood, they had to move further downstream to the grange of Banda, which was converted into a monastery. The latter was later abandoned in turn, following the community’s move first to Avigliana and then to Collegno in the mid-17th century. Both structures are currently included in the territory of the Alpi Cozie Parks.
The Certosa di Montebenedetto, located at 1160 m altitude, is the only surviving example in Europe of the “Certosa primitive”, a certosa that still preserves the structure of a low medieval monastery. The church of the monastery houses a permanent exhibition illustrating the Carthusian world and the history of the complex of Montebenedetto, while in the immediate circumstances was made a trail “self-guided” with a description of the various buildings that were part of the monastery and of which, as has already been pointed out, does not remain that few traces. The path also includes the remains of correria, low house, situated about three hundred meters away from the monastery and destined to the residence of lay brothers.
Has been recently equipped with a foresteria self-managing, with about twenty beds. A band, instead, the remains of the monastic complex survive in the chapel of the current suburb, which still has traces of the architectural elements typical of buildings certosine: the lack of an input in the facade and the physical distinction of the internal space, divided in the area for the Fathers and in the one for the brothers. There are also some parts of the cloister, incorporated in the course of the centuries by private dwellings.