All the urban organization of the historical center is based on the presence of the cloisters. The cloister is a space enclosed on three sides and open only on one who so acts as an entrance and exit: in case of looting it was then a defense, while in peacetime was a place for social gatherings. Its name comes from the Latin word "claustrum", meaning closed. The cloister of the Giudecca get the name by Judas, one of the sons of Jacob, who settled in the country of Judea. It consists of a branched square with small blind alleys departing from it.