The cloister

Beauvais Cathedral is home to a cloister of unconditional charm and great originality, with its half-timbered gallery.

The first cloister probably dates back to the ^11th century and was based on the Carolingian cathedral, Notre-Dame de la Basse-Œuvre. The Salle Saint-Pierre, which still runs alongside Rue du Musée, is the last vestige.

Construction of the current cloister dates back to the Hundred Years' War (^mid-14th - ^mid-15th century), and was completed in the ^16th century with the east gallery, which opens onto rue de l'abbé Gellée and contains the chapter house.

While most of the structure is built of ashlar, the "bishop's gallery", which runs alongside the Basse-Œuvre, stands out for its half-timbered elevation. At the time, it extended as far as theepiscopal palace (now the MUDO-Musée de l'Oise), enabling the bishop to reach the cathedral directly from his residence.