Art sanctuary: the Met Cloisters

As we've maybe hinted at once or twice in this blog, wonder | wander | women love churches, cathedrals, and other architecture of worship that reminds us of our Catholic upbringing. In New York we found a truly sacred spot: that place of pilgrimage for medieval art lovers, the Met Cloisters.

My beloved uncle is an avid world traveller and travel specialist - a career he trained for by planning massive trips for our curious, active, and very strong-minded family. He loves to joke about his most popular walking tour of European towns, the 'ABC tour' - short for 'Another Bloody Church'.

The Fuentidueña Chapel

On this trip alone we'd seen some very impressive churches in the city, not to mention when we visited Canada and Georgia. But the Cloisters aren't for religious worship...unless your religion is art and history. Which was fine with us!

The Gothic Chapel, seen
from upstairs

The Cloisters were built to house the medieval collection of art and artefacts belonging to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The architecture is a blend of elements from church and secular buildings around Europe. Here's a video of part of the construction taking place.

It's a little heaven for a pair of wonder | wander | women who grew up surrounded by old Spanish stone buildings and wooden saints. 

Wooden alcove in the Treasury

The doors and chambers alone were a delight to examine and photograph! The summer light flooded in, unusual for Gothic and Romanesque buildings which were built to keep interiors dim. 

It's strange to think of natural light as a modern architectural feature, but this is what sets the Cloisters apart from the churches of truly medieval times.

Gothic casement over the ground floor
galleries

The way the building draws your attention to its own architecture is another modern touch. Half-carved arches and single capitals invite visitors to take a closer look, instead of staying part of the background.

By invoking the feel of a sacred place, the Cloisters can transform even the most crowded exhibits into a place of contemplation and inner revelations. It's all about the little details that form a harmonious whole.