A couple of months ago, I went to the Cloisters up in the Bronx. The Cloisters is a museum that is part of the Met, and houses medieval arts and artifacts. It was very different from a typical museum- the Cloisters is very castle like in shape and design. In fact, the walk from the train station to the Cloisters along the river is just like walking up to a castle- the museum is located on a hill, so you are walking up a long, winding road to get to the museum. Although the walk was long, the natural beauty was amazing, and I felt like I wasn’t in New York City anymore. The museum itself was very interesting as well- it featured a lot of medieval relics, and one piece of art was actually imported from Spain. This work of art was actually part of the infrastructure of the museum- it used to be part of a medieval church, but they shipped it, brick by brick, and reconstructed it, brick by brick, and incorporated it into the museum.

My favorite part was the treasure room, where many religious relics were displayed. These relics were lavishly decorated and ornamented, yet it was clearly visible that time had damaged the artifact. All in all, the Cloisters was a great experience and anyone going to the Bronx should stop by. It’s a discounted rate if you use your Macaulay Cultural Passport!