Cloister of Saint Trophimus, in Arles, France

A cloister is part of cathedral's and abbey's architecture. A cloister consists usually of four corridors, with a courtyard or quad in the middle.

Cloisteral life is another name for the life of a monk or nun. Thus, cloister is sometimes used as a synonym for monastery.

See also

• The Cloisters, one of the museums of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.