#cloister

[wandering-italy]

Cloister of the monastery built into the ruins of the ancient Baths of Diocletian, now home to a national museum.

Rome, 2016

[paranatellonta]

Escape from Heaven

Tiny footsteps echoed loudly through the church until the child kneeled on the floor and looked up, aiming words directly at God, or at least at the high ceiling. As luck would have it, the child caught a glimpse of a figure in red and black with a long forked tail.

“No panic,” the Devil urged from where he was clinging to a thick, slanted wooden beam. “I’m only a minstrel still in my stage garb after thinking it would be safe to speak my own mind during a performance for the city’s nobility. I had to run and hide, and they did search for me, but not this high up—which I think is ironic, in the house of God.”

The child was still staring, and after a moment of silence asked: “Are you trying to break into Heaven, using the beams of the church as a ladder?”

“Actually,” the minstrel replied, remembering how much more effective than the truth stories can be, “I’ve only just become a demon after breaking out of Heaven. Would you be a dear and check whether there aren’t any humans outside, guarding the church? You’ll understand it’s only safe for me to go out if there aren’t, otherwise I’d terribly tempted to corrupt them.”

As the minstrel slipped away into freedom, he said a grateful prayer to his young lookout and promised himself never to waste his talents on an unworthy audience again.

—

[Image description: Photo of a high, triangular ceiling of a cloister building. The ceiling is made up of wooden beams, and there’s a white wall in the background. Lines of bright light line the ceiling on both sides.]

[7pleiades7]

The cloister of Fontfroide Abbey, a former Cistercian monastery near Narbonne, France.

[luminousinsect]

Kristian Olsson - Genfärd (Cloister, 2026)

CD/Digital Reissue of a tape originally released in 2017 on Olsson's own Styggelse label. Mastered by Grant Richardson

Not at all what I would expect from the member of Survival Unit, Blood Ov Thee Christ, and Alfarmania. No vocals, this is very focused, deep, dark analog-synth led ambient death industrial that has the vibes of the best Subklinik, N., Morgue File, or the instrumental palette of Perfection & Permanence era Trepaneringsritualen. Like TxRxP, what's particularly interesting here is it turns its gaze away from the usual medical-industrial æsthetic and towards almost gothic folkloric horror, graveside occultism, almost post-technological in its intent. The writeup on Bandcamp excellently describes it & the booklet presentation mirrors this perfectly as well, ngl Olsson's visual work has always been on point (Discogs)

[eopederson3]

Cloister, catedral, Santiago de Compostela, 1984.

[wandering-italy]

The cloister at the Lateran.

Rome

[fiataeterna]

Sylvanes Abbey, Aveyron, France. 2017. Annick Montane.

[wandering-italy]

The Cloister of Santa Chiara

Naples