Cloister, << kloys tuhr, >> in architecture, refers to a covered walk that encloses the courtyard of a monastery, convent, church, or college. Columns along one or more sides support the roof. The term cloister can also refer to the courtyard itself or to any place of religious seclusion. The word comes from a Latin word that means a closed-off space.
Both architecturally and symbolically the cloister unifies the monastery. An oratory (small chapel) or church usually opens off one side of the cloister. Common rooms and private rooms open off the other three sides. Many cloisters contain a garden and a fountain or well, and are used for work and recreation as well as for walkways. Cloisters are also sometimes used as graveyards for monks and notable associates of the monastery.
Beginning in the late 700’s, the cloister became an important part of a monastery. Gradually, cloisters were added to other religious institutions and to colleges. In England, for example, Westminster Abbey, Oxford University, and Eton College have impressive cloisters.
The Roman Catholic Church established what is known as the rule of cloister. The current rule states that all houses of religious orders must have an enclosure appropriate to the order’s character and ministry and reserved only for members. Religious orders whose ministry is primarily prayer and meditation require a stricter observance than do orders engaged in active ministry in the outside world.
