Cloister

September 23, 2006

I spent much of today wandering around Naples ...

Behind the church of Santa Chiara in the old city center are a large convent and cloister that were built in the first part of the 14th century by Sancia of Mallorca, the wife of Robert of Anjou, one of the Kings of Naples.

The nuns who lived in the convent lived a totally cloistered life, which must have been actually kind of nice considering how miserable urban life was, for the most part, during the Middle Ages.

In the middle of the 18th century, the cloister was renovated and decorated with brightly-colored majolica tiles. Very pretty.

The church of Santa Chiara itself is a very interesting place. I'll have more photos on another day.

-- Aaron