A cloister (from Latin claustrum) is a feature of cathedral, monastic and abbey architecture. It consists of (usually) four corridors, roofed but open to the air, surrounding a central courtyard or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a Cathedral church usually indicates that it is (or was once) a monastic foundation.
Cloistered (or "Claustral") life is also another name for the life of a monk or nun in the enclosed religious orders; the modern English term enclosure is used in contemporary Catholic church law1 to mean cloistered, and cloister is sometimes used as a synonym for monastery.
In medieval times, cloisters served the primary function of quiet meditation or study gardens.
The worldwide biggest cloister (12000 m²) is in the Certosa di Padula in southern Italy.
See also
Notes
- ^ The Code of Canon Law, Canon 667 ff. English translation copyright 1983 The Canon Law Society Trust [1]
External links
- Photos of Cloisters in Spain, Portugal and England
- The Code of Canon Law, cf canons 667 ff.
- New Advent Encyclopaedia III ff. on "Nuns, properly so called
- "Cloister" in the New Advent encyclopaedia
- New Advent Encyclopaedia on "Religious Life
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 13 November 2008, at 04:36.
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