ABSTRACT
The life of the monks and nuns took place in specific areas in the monastic precinct - the cloister and the church - places specifically designed to provide a focus for the community, emphasise the central role of the liturgy and reinforce claustration. The precinct was largely exclusive to the community, with only restricted access for outsiders. Of course, the external appearance of Cistercian monasteries between the twelfth and early sixteenth centuries changed in line with architectural and artistic fashions; and changes in attitudes to the commemoration of patrons and benefactors and the comfort and privacy of abbots and monks impacted on the shape and form of the buildings. There was no one architectural style that can be labelled as 'Cistercian', but the Cistercian way of life nevertheless shaped the architecture, decorations and objects surrounding monks and nuns into a Cistercian aesthetic.
