A Medieval monastery received pilgrims and travellers, at a period when western Europe was almost destitute of innsA Medieval monastery performed many works of charity, feeding the hungry, healing the sick who were brought to their doors, and distributing their medicinesA Medieval monastery provided education for boys who wished to become priests and those who intended to lead active lives in the worldA Medieval monastery copied the manuscripts of classical authors preserving valuable books that would otherwise have been lost A Medieval monastery kept records of the most striking events of their time and acted as chroniclers of the medieval history of the Middle Ages