The Cloister of the church is surprising for its composed, evocative atmosphere. It is a small, serene space, made airier by the presence of palms and Mediterranean plants and by the graceful arrangement of the pretty twin columns which support the arches of the portico. In the centre of the Cloister, which dates from the time of the Crusaders, rises a pillar with the sculptured figure of St. Jerome. According to tradition, this saint passed the last thirty-five years of his life, from 385 to 420, in one of the caves here. He worked there on the "Vulgate", the translation of the Bible into latin.