Corridor of the Cells

This area was reserved for intimate meditation and reflection, and was restricted to only resident friars. The interior of the cell was the only place where a friar might be alone with God.

The small scale of the doorways, very low and narrow, would thereby force them to display a posture of humility before Divine intimacy, kneeling in order to enter this space. The scant area within the cells was, however, sufficient for the needs of a friar. They did not sleep in beds but rather on the floor, consenting only to the comfort provided by a straw mattress or a sheet of cork.

The end of the corridor of the cells is marked by a step that served to define the boundary of this intimate area within which one was to rigorously observe complete silence.