▁Henry ▁James . ▁It ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁an ▁in authentic ▁Italian ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁dis solute ▁youth ▁of ▁Aless andro ▁F arn ese . ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁has ▁been ▁adapted ▁for ▁opera , ▁film ▁and ▁television . ▁ ▁The ▁title ▁refers ▁to ▁a ▁Car th us ian ▁monaster y , ▁which ▁is ▁only ▁mentioned ▁on ▁the ▁last ▁page ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁and ▁does ▁not ▁figure ▁significantly ▁in ▁the ▁plot . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁The ▁Char ter house ▁of ▁Par ma ▁chron icles ▁the ▁advent ures ▁of ▁the ▁young ▁Italian ▁no blem an ▁Fab rice ▁del ▁D ongo ▁from ▁his ▁birth ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 8 ▁to ▁his ▁death . ▁Fab rice ▁sp ends ▁his ▁early ▁years ▁in ▁his ▁family ' s ▁castle ▁on ▁Lake ▁Como , ▁while ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁a ▁fict ional ized ▁Par ma ▁( both ▁locations ▁are ▁in ▁modern - day ▁Italy ). ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁begins ▁with ▁the ▁French ▁army ▁swe eping ▁into ▁Milan ▁and ▁stir ring ▁up ▁the ▁sleep y ▁region ▁of ▁Lomb ard y , ▁which ▁was ▁al lied ▁with ▁Austria . ▁Fab rice ▁grows ▁up ▁surrounded ▁by ▁intr ig ues ▁and ▁al li ances ▁for ▁and ▁against ▁the ▁French ▁— ▁his ▁father ▁the ▁March ese ▁com ically ▁fan cies ▁himself ▁a ▁sp y ▁for ▁the ▁V ienn ese . ▁It ▁is ▁broad ly ▁hint ed ▁at ▁that ▁Fab rice ▁may ▁have ▁actually ▁been ▁father ed ▁by ▁a ▁visit ing ▁French ▁lieutenant . ▁The ▁novel ' s ▁early ▁section