ARCHITECT, Spanish
(active 12th century in Castile and León)

Capitals in the cloister

12th century
Photo
Abbey, Santo Domingo de Silos (Burgos)

The two-storey cloister of the monastery, which has large capitals with carved scenes, and also relief panels, is considered a masterpiece of Romanesque art. The capitals in the lower cloister are decorated with dragons, centaurs, lattices, and mermaids.

The cloisters are the only surviving part of the monastery that has not changed since its inception. The cloister is an angled rectangular shape with 16 semi-circular arches on the north and south sides and 14 semi-circular arches on the west and east sides. The lower storey was begun during the last quarter of the 11th century and completed in the second half of the 12th century.