§ 29.
The position of the chief buildings round
the cloister was arranged upon a convenient principle,
which commended itself to monks and canons alike.
The chapter-house was always in the eastern range of
buildings: the dormitory or dorter was nearly always
on the first floor of the same range: the refectory or
frater was always in the range opposite the church
[6].
This was the usual Benedictine plan, and its dispositions,
allowing for some variation, were followed
by most of the religious orders. But the Cistercian
order, while maintaining the relative position of
the cloister buildings, developed a special type of
church and plan of cloister, which were in no small
degree the result of its peculiar constitution. Its
claustral arrangements were peculiar to itself, but its
church-plan had some effect upon the churches of
other orders, particularly upon those of Premonstratensian
canons. In considering the monastic church,
it will be useful in the first place to take the main
features of the Benedictine plan, and in the sequel,
after noting the peculiarities of Cistercian churches,
to observe the effect of both plans on the churches of
other orders. In all monastic churches, however, the
plan was governed by three common necessities.
(1) A quire had to be provided for the recitation of
the canonical hours by the convent. (2) A sufficient
number of altars was necessary, so that brethren in
holy orders might have frequent opportunities of
celebrating mass. (3) Arrangements had to be made
for processions, and especially for the procession
before high mass on Sundays, which began and ended
in the church and made the round of the claustral
buildings.
