Cloister

DEFINITION

A covered walkway or ambulatory around an open court or garden. It was a common feature of medieval monasteries, connecting the monastery's church to its domestic parts.(pr. KLOY-stər)Examples: Cloister of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, 12th century, Spain. Cloister of Canterbury Cathedral, 1397-1420, Canterbury, England. The cloister was designed by master mason Stephen Lote and constructed in the Perpendicular style.Also see cathedral.