The inner courtyard of the basilica, also called the cloister of Abbot Argeric, is an open space without a roof. On three sides, the courtyard is surrounded by an arched gallery with sculptures and patterns using the sgraffito technique, and on the fourth side it is closed by the facade of the basilica. The white and black marble pavement lining the courtyard was created in 1952 by artist Benito Martí nez, modeled after Michelangelo's Capitoline Square in Rome. Guidebooks strongly recommend that you stand with your eyes closed and your hands raised to the sky in this "circle of power", since positive energy descends here.→