Cloître de la Psalette, Medieval cloister in Tours, France.
The Psalette cloister is a late medieval courtyard surrounded by three arcaded galleries. Inside, it contains a decorated chapel and a grand spiral staircase from the Renaissance era built during the sixteenth century.
The cloister was founded in 1442 as part of the cathedral school and took decades to complete. It marks the transition from Flamboyant Gothic to Renaissance architecture in France.
The cloister served as a hub where monks copied manuscripts and composed music for the cathedral. Visitors can still walk through the rooms where this scholarly work took place.
The cloister sits next to the cathedral and is easily reached on foot. The interior spaces are compact and straightforward, making navigation simple for visitors.
The spiral staircase was designed to echo the famous one at Blois Castle but in a smaller, refined version. This detail reveals how master builders of the time shared design ideas across different sites.
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