The Cloisters

Located on four acres of prime Manhattan real estate, The Cloisters, in Fort Tryon Park, are dedicated to the display and enjoyment of the art and architecture of the Middle Ages. Two major periods featured are the Romanesque period between 1000 and 1150 and the Gothic period dating from 1150 to 1520.

Overlooking the Hudson River, the museum, built in the early 1930s, is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The three individuals most responsible for this unique museum are John D. Rockefeller, Jr., James Ruramor and George G. Bernard.

Visitors to the Cloisters can step back in time to another period in history and capture a sense of life in medieval times. Incorporated into the building are portions of original French medieval chapels, monastic cloisters, a chapter house, and other architectural elements dating back to the 12th century.

Included in this magnificent collection are the Unicorn Tapestries, manuscripts, metalwork, panel painting, stained glass, sculpture, and frescoes. The Unicorn Tapestries were woven in Brussels around 1500 and depict the hunt for the unicorn.

The Fuentiduena chapel features a barrel vault ceiling, sculpture, and wall paintings intricately designed in the Romanesque period. The apse is dominated by a fresco of the Virgin and Child with the winged figures of Michael and Gabriel on either side.

Originally located adjacent to the cloisters, the Chapter House was used as a gathering place for monastic religious life. All business of the monastery and group confession took place in this building. With thick walls and small windows the house is a combination of Romanesque elements and the vaulted ceiling popular during the Gothic period.

In the herb and flower gardens, there are over two hundred species of plants grown during the Middle Ages.

Sunday afternoon concerts featuring medieval music performances are regularly scheduled events held in the 12th century Spanish Fuentiduena Chapel.

http://www.metmuseum.org/collections

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