What was the middle ages monastery like?

Answer 1

Monasteries were not all the same size, nor did they always have the same layout; Cisterciuan monasteries housed both professed monks and also large numbers of lay brothers who did all the manual work - they had their own separate accommodation.

In very general terms, you approached the locked door of a walled monastery precinct and knocked. The porter (door-keeper) would be an older, more reliable monk who would receive you kindly, ask you to be as quiet as possible and stay away from the cloister range and the church - he would direct you straight to the hospital (the guest-house). You would probably pass stables and a small chapel for the use of guests, you would be shown to a small room with very little furniture (a bed with a straw mattress, a chest for clothes and a wooden bench or chair, perhaps a metal brazier for warmth. You would be given food and drink and you were not charged so long as you only stayed a night or two..

If you did approach the church and cloister, you would see the amazing size of the church building, with the cloister ranges to the south. These were arranged in a square around the cloister itself, which was often a square with a garden or lawn in the centre and a covered walkway around all four sides. The church occupied the whole of the north side; on the east would be the chapter house, library and monk's dormitory with the reredorter (lavatory block) behind; to the south would be the warming room, refectory and kitchen; to the west would be the cellarium or stores.

Within the precinct, but outside this central cloister range, would be the lodgings of the abbot or prior in charge, the bakery and brewhouse, the orchard, herb garden, monk's cemetery and the infirmary. Here old and infirm monks would be cared for and often had their own small garden and chapel.

If there were young boys being schooled at the monastery, they would have their own room beneath the dormitory where the master of boys would teach and instruct them.

There might be a mill, fish-ponds, a barn and workshops.

The daily routine was precisely regulated and every minute was allocated to prayer, work, study, meals or sleep. No free time, no recreation, no fooling about, no idle chatter or gossip, no leaving the cloister without permission.

Services (8 each day and night in total) were marked by the sounding of the monastery bells. Meals were eaten in silence and strict silence was enforced at certain other times, such as after Compline (the final service of the day) when the monks retired to their beds.

The regime was strict and punishments often severe, particularly for repeated infractions which included falling asleep in services, being late, breaking or losing anything and even having impure thoughts. Senior monks would regularly check on the others and would report any faults at the daily Chapter meeting - the accused monk must accept a punishment without objection (even if he had not done whatever he were accused of).

Lack of sleep and a limited, boring diet were the major causes of unrest in monasteries.