Cloister of Cathédrale Sainte-Eulalie-et-Sainte-Julie d'Elne, Medieval cloister at Sainte-Eulalie-et-Sainte-Julie Cathedral in Elne, France.
The Cloister of Sainte-Eulalie-et-Sainte-Julie is a medieval courtyard surrounded by four covered galleries with white marble columns streaked in blue. The arches blend rounded Romanesque shapes with pointed Gothic forms, reflecting construction work that happened over more than 200 years.
Construction of this cloister took place gradually between the 12th and 14th centuries as the cathedral expanded. The site gained official protection as a French historical monument in 1840, establishing its architectural importance for future generations.
The east gallery displays three Visigothic marble sarcophagi from the 6th and 7th centuries, showing how early Christians buried their dead in this region. These ancient stone coffins connect you directly to the religious life that existed here centuries before the cloister was built.
The cloister is accessible daily and reached easily through the adjoining cathedral. The courtyard is compact, so you can see everything in a short visit, and the covered galleries provide shade throughout your walk.
A small archaeological museum inside Saint-Laurent chapel displays objects ranging from the Neolithic period through the Middle Ages. This collection reveals the very long human story of the place, stretching back thousands of years before the cloister existed.
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