The main cloister was built after 1551 under the supervision of royal architect Diogo de Torralva, using the “plain” style, an undecorated form of Mannerist architecture in Portugal, that had a simple structure on a monumental scale. The cloister has a series of five bays on either side, which are matched on the ground floor by five semicircular arches separated by imposing buttresses.
The latter continues into the upper floor, creating tripartite bays with colonettes that support the platband.
The centre has a marble fountain that still maintains the Gothic style, with six atlantes supporting the large bowl. The figures also have scrolls that create a dialogue to interrelate them.