What were living conditions in medieval times in a monastery like?

Answer 1

Life in a monastery was quite limited in that they had to make a vow to lead a monastic life for the est of their lives. Most of the activities included prayers, going for mass, farming and ensuring that the monastery was running all through.

Answer 2

Not good. Actually, it was usually far better than life on the outside. In a monastery, one was assured meals, medical care (such as could be had in those times), and a bed. Plus, medieval monasteries were the learning centers of the time, and only those within could read and write and have access to books, which were a rare and precious commodity. People willed their land and property to monasteries and so they contained many riches that the average people did not possess in their daily lives.

Answer 3

The writer Julie Kerr recently published an interesting book entitled "Life in the Medieval Cloister" (Continuum Publishing, London and New York, 2009) which explorers in general terms the day-to-day routine in English monasteries.

She emphasises the boredom of constant repetition in the monastic routine, the limited types of food in the diet, the constant lack of sleep, the seclusion, the severe penalties for minor infractions, the difficulties of learning everything in Latin, the need to have a good singing voice, the constant cold during the winter months, the requirement to maintain complete silence at certain times, the absence of entertainment or humour and much more.

The monastic lifestyle certainly did not suit everyone, but she also emphasises the huge number of applications for places in the monasteries which often meant waiting lists. This clearly demonstrates the fact that people at that time had a very different view of religion than they do today and they were perfectly willing to face all the hardships for their faith.