You are here

The Small Cloister

  • Petit cloître © Alex Nollet
  • Petit cloître © Alex Nollet
  • Petit cloître © Alex Nollet
  • Petit cloître © Alex Nollet
  • Petit cloître © Alex Nollet
  • Petit cloître © Alex Nollet

For the Carthusian monks who lived in the solitude of their cells, walks in the cloister were an exceptional recreation that was shared by all, once a week.

The square shape of the cloister is inherently harmonious and timeless. There is a strong symbolic dimension to the shape also, as it recalls Paradise Lost. Reminiscent of the four rivers in the Garden of Eden, the small cloister is divided into four parts planted with lilies, acanthus, aster, iris, Hemerocallis (also called day lilies due to the ephemeral flowers), and Choisya ternata or Mexican Orange blossom.