Monastero di Santa Chiara
The Monastery of Santa Chiara, one of the largest in the city, develops behind Basilica and houses Museum of Opera, a vast archaeological area of Roman times, and is also characterized by four Monumental Cloisters, a Library, Conventional Halls and the Church of Clarisse. The first and most important cloister, as well as a distinctive element of Basilica, accessible from the courtyard that develops on the left flank, is Chiostro Maiolicato delle Clarisse, designed by Domenico Antonio Vaccaro and decorated with eighteenth century majolica by Giuseppe and Donato Massa 17th century frescoes on Saints, Allegories, and Old Testament Scenes. The Cloister survived the war bombings and is therefore one of the few Baroque testimonies of Basilica. Library is on the north side and has about 50.000 volumes, with an important section on Franciscan history and culture and about 40 codes of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. On the east side there is a dining room with a 18th century crib and Sala di Maria Cristina, with remains of Giotto frescoes. The environment is so called in honor of Queen Maria Cristina of Savoy, who buried in the same Basilica. From the south side of Cloister Maiolicato, you arrive at Capitular Room and finally at the Church of Clarisse, which houses a large fresco by Lello da Orvieto (1340) and two other minor cloisters.
