The Romanesque cloisters of Silos are, and always have been, the focal point of monastic community life. The remainder of the monastery buildings converge on and lead off the cloisters, as do all the monks’ activities. The cloisters themselves could be considered to be a “book of stone” to enable Christians, the majority of whom could not read and write, to learn the Sacred Story thanks to the carved images on the cloister columns and capitals. At Silos, the decorative motifs are principally of birds, Gazelles, plants etc. in addition to historiated bas-relief carvings with themes relating to the life of Christ. Here, art not only serves a decorative function but also has a didactic and moralizing purpose.
