Medieval Glossary

Cloister

Within a monastery, the sheltered arcade surrounding an open courtyard area. It served as a general utility area. The entrance to the monastery could be found in the northwest corner of the cloister.

Related term(s): Monastery; Refectory; Scriptorium; Infirmary
Category: Western Christianity
Added: 01.07.05
Source information: Singman, Jeffrey L. Daily Life in Medieval Europe. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1999. 149-50.

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