cloître

The cloître, or cloister, is a covered walk surrounding a central courtyard in monasteries, convents, abbeys, and sometimes cathedrals. It provides a tranquil, sheltered axis that links major buildings such as the church, chapter house, refectory, and dormitory. The cloister supports monastic life—allowing meditation, study, and processions—while creating a physical and symbolic separation from the outside world.

Etymology: The term cloître derives from Latin claustrum “shut-in place,” via Old French cloistre; the English word cloister is descended from this lineage. In modern French, cloître can also function as a verb meaning to withdraw or shut oneself away.

Architecturally, cloisters consist of a central courtyard ringed by a covered ambulatory or galerie, typically with archways or arcades supported by columns. Vaulting may be barrel, groin, or ribbed, and plans are usually rectangular, facing the church on one side. Styles vary from Romanesque to Gothic and across regions.

Historically common in medieval Europe, cloisters appear in monasteries, convents, abbeys, hospitals, and occasionally universities. They organized daily rhythms, provided sheltered routes for processions, and housed study rooms or scriptoria. Many surviving cloisters are valued for their sculpture, capitals, and the harmonious relationship between architecture, liturgy, and landscape.

Today the term remains a specialized architectural designation, and cloisters are often preserved as heritage sites. In French, the verb cloîtrer denotes withdrawing from public life.