▁period ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁both ▁monaster ies ▁and ▁herm it ages ▁al ike ▁were ▁end owed ▁by ▁royal ty ▁and ▁nob ility ▁in ▁return ▁for ▁pray ers ▁being ▁said ▁for ▁their ▁family , ▁bel ieving ▁it ▁to ▁benef icial ▁to ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁their ▁soul . ▁ ▁Car th us ian ▁mon ks ▁typically ▁live ▁in ▁a ▁one - room ▁cell ▁or ▁building , ▁with ▁areas ▁for ▁study , ▁sleep , ▁prayer , ▁and ▁prepar ation ▁of ▁me als . ▁Most ▁Car th us ians ▁live ▁a ▁mostly ▁solit ary ▁life , ▁meeting ▁with ▁their ▁bre th ren ▁for ▁commun ion , ▁for ▁shared ▁me als ▁on ▁holy ▁days , ▁and ▁again ▁irregular ly ▁for ▁nature ▁wal ks , ▁where ▁they ▁are ▁encourag ed ▁to ▁have ▁simple ▁discuss ions ▁about ▁their ▁spiritual ▁life . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁modern ▁era , ▁herm it ages ▁are ▁often ▁ab utt ed ▁to ▁monaster ies , ▁or ▁located ▁on ▁their ▁grounds , ▁being ▁occupied ▁by ▁mon ks ▁who ▁receive ▁disp ens ation ▁from ▁their ▁ab bot ▁or ▁prior ▁to ▁live ▁a ▁semi - sol it ary ▁life . ▁However , ▁herm it ages ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁settings , ▁from ▁isolated ▁rural ▁locations , ▁houses ▁in ▁large ▁cities , ▁and ▁even ▁high - r ise ▁blocks ▁of ▁fl ats , ▁depending ▁on ▁the ▁herm it ' s ▁means . ▁ ▁Ex amples ▁of ▁herm it ages ▁in ▁Western ▁Christian ▁tradition : ▁The ▁Grande ▁Chart re use ▁in ▁Saint - Pierre -