The Florence Charterhouse, or Certosa del Galluzzo, was founded in 1341 by the Florentine Niccolò Acciaiuoli. The noble patron and friend of Petrarch and Boccaccio wished to build a citadel of culture and faith to provide a place where young Florentines could be taught humanities. The Charterhouse is now maintained by Cistercian monks, and is accessible to visitors.

The FEF shared with the SISMEL a space within the Charterhouse for 25 years, where the Direction and Secretary offices were hosted, along with the open-shelf library and the archive, the research spaces for ongoing projects and training activities. After transferring the activities of the FEF at the new location in via Montebello, in the heart of Florence, in the Certosa remained a part of the book repository of the FEF for material which is seldom consulted.