Capital from Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert

“The capital comes from Saint-Guilhem’s cloister, a structure integral to many medieval ecclesiastic building complexes. Usually adjoining a church, the cloister served multiple purposes. It was generally square or rectangular in shape, and consisted of a covered walkway along its perimeter and a central space left open to the elements. The roofed portion was generally supported by open arcades that would enable passage from sheltered to unsheltered space, and the columns supporting the arcades were topped by capitals that were frequently carved with various kinds of designs. Though similar in concept to Glencairn’s cloister, the one at Saint-Guilhem appears to have had two stories, adjoining other structures that its monks regularly used. The cloister itself was used for a number of activities, from church rituals to the monks’ daily regimens of reading, prayer and meditation.” (Julia Perratore, “Hidden in Plain Sight: A Capital from Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert,” _Glencairn Museum News_, Number 9, 2015; see External Link.)

Sources:
- Julia Perratore, “Hidden in Plain Sight: A Capital from Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert,” _Glencairn Museum News_, Number 9, 2015.
- Jane Hayward and Walter Cahn, et al., _Radiance and Reflection: Medieval Art from the Raymond Pitcairn Collection_, exhibition catalog, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1982, p. 71–72.