If you visit the abbey of Santa Maria al Mare, on the Tremiti islands, you cannot miss the two cloisters housed inside.
The first and oldest is the Cistercian cloister, made available to pilgrims who had the freedom to walk along its four sides surmounted by cross vaults supported by stone pillars.
Inside there is a cistern that collected rainwater, a precious resource on the Tremiti islands. The cistern is embellished with a circular frieze representing a Diomedea with an olive branch in its beak.
The kitchen and the refectory, the pharmacy and the infirmary, the dormitory and the barbershop were arranged around the quadrilateral.
The second and more recent structure is the Lateran cloister, made up of graceful columns with capitals decorated with acanthus leaves. The arcades consist of 27 arches with cross vaults and bear various traditional symbols such as birds and flowers.
On one side of this building stands the dormitory that belonged to the Lateran Canons (including the prior's cell), while two Renaissance portals are present at the end of the portico.
Some photos of the Cistercian cloister and the Lateran cloister are available in the link indicated, while here is another article if you want to find out more about the island of San Nicola.
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