Audio transcription
From the square, a corridor to the left of the façade leads to the cloister, which, together with the tower, is all that remains of the Benedictine abbey demolished in the 19th century. The cloister was built in the 10th century and was renovated several times. The current one dates back to the early 14th century. The arches of the north and south sides are round, whereas the other two are lancets.
A fountain was situated on the northern side and at the protruding shrine there was a washhouse for the monks. All around the cloister there are sepulchral monuments, many of them coming from other churches. Seven steps down from the cloister is an old room reserved for the liturgy: the so-called Shrine of St. Benedict. It is a square area covered by nine cross vaults. According to tradition, the body of St. Zeno rested here before the solemn transfer to the Basilica took place in 807 AD. A grand staircase connects the cloister with the upper church.
