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Arches, walls, and pillars were painted with rich colors and carved doorways had designs of animal faces, scallops, zigzags, or other decorative embellishments. The interiors of these churches were covered with bright tapestries and beautiful paintings. Viking boathouses were built for houseboats during the long harsh winter when they were not sailing. Boathouses were usually partially dug into the ground some distance back from the waterline. This article is part of our larger selection of posts about the medieval period. Landowners desperate for workers to harvest their crops began offering wages to anyone who would work on their land.
Medieval architecture
With more money in their hands, peasants were now able to afford better housing. Wattle and daub were frequently used, which allowed the houses to become taller and wider than before. In contrast, the humbler abodes, clustered closely in villages, facilitated daily interactions, fostering a sense of camaraderie among neighbors. The common medieval house often had an open floor plan, which allowed for multifunctional use.
Framlingham Castle
The preservation of medieval houses involves various techniques, including structural repairs, conservation of original materials, and protection against environmental factors. Restoration efforts aim to revive the original design and appearance of a structure, often involving extensive research to ensure historical accuracy. In 1921, Einar C. Petersen, a Swiss-trained Danish artist, designed and built the still-standing Petersen Studio Court on Beverly Boulevard, considered the forerunner of the storybook style. The cottage community was based on Petersen’s hometown, the port of Ebeltoft, Denmark, a fishing village known for its ancient half-timbered houses and cobblestone streets.
Civic architecture
After drying, the walls would be trimmed and the next course built, with lintels for later openings such as doors and windows being placed as the wall takes shape. As we’ve mentioned on our previous article on medieval buildings types, different types of buildings had different requirements (longevity, defensive capabilities) as well as cost (in materials and/or time). Some large manor houses even had small gatehouses built into their circuit walls, equipped with drawbridges that could be raised in the event of a raid. Over time, manor houses became larger and incorporated more of these elements within a single structure.
Vogland Medieval / Tudor Town House #3DThursday #3DPrinting « Adafruit Industries – Makers, hackers, artists ... - Adafruit Blog
Vogland Medieval / Tudor Town House #3DThursday #3DPrinting « Adafruit Industries – Makers, hackers, artists ....
Posted: Thu, 29 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Sam's Castle
These strong manor houses could repulse raiders, although they were still very vulnerable in the event of a protracted siege. Beyond the great hall was the private accommodation of the manor house, reserved for the manor house’s owner, their family, and their guests. These private quarters functioned in a similar way to a solar in a castle and would have included various rooms to hold meetings in, dine-in, or simply to relax and entertain in. As the lord of the manor had judicial power within his fief, the manor house typically hosted the manorial court, usually in one of the larger rooms such as the great hall. As a result, the manor house was an important administrative and economic centre – it was not simply the home of the lord of the manor, but it was the building from which he ruled his fief.
Home Sweet Home: A Tale of Medieval Urban Housing15 min read
The construction of a house, from its design to the materials used, offered a window into the social status, wealth, and even the profession of its inhabitants. This dynamic interplay between architecture and society paints a vivid picture of how deeply entwined a medieval house was with the cultural tapestry of the era. As we step back into the middle ages, it becomes evident that building a medieval house wasn’t just about assembling bricks and beams.

As the court was held in the manor house, the building itself came to represent the legal heart of a fief and was the place where tenants on the land would go for justice. A large manor house was a powerful statement of wealth and political prestige. However, it was not simply guests and other nobles that the owners of manor houses were attempting to impress.
Some manor houses also had room for a chapel, although this was often a separate building, especially on larger and richer estates. This room was used by all member of the household for a religious ceremony, although there were often raised galleries for the higher status occupants of the manor house. Medieval manor houses were usually very grand imposing buildings, in accordance with the wealth of the Lord who owned it. Using the wattle and daub building method for medieval house design allowed two-story medieval cottages to be built with the second floor being reached by a Ladder. The construction of the Medieval house in towns (the town house) was chiefly determined by scarcity of space within the city walls, resulting in houses with many stores.
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The First Floor of a Medieval House
Back then, society at large was divided based on the strata.The architecture during the medieval era changed through centuries as the requisites, purpose, values, and belief systems changed. During the early Medieval period, peasant houses were usually made of straw and sticks as they could not afford anything better. As we have discovered in this journey through the charm of medieval houses, these structures played a crucial role in shaping medieval society.
Windows gained a cross-shape for more than decorative purposes, they provided a perfect fit for a crossbowman to safely shoot invaders from inside. Crenellated walls (battlements) provided shelters for archers on the roofs to hide behind when not shooting invaders. Romanesque, prevalent in medieval Europe during the 11th and 12th centuries, was the first pan-European style since Roman Imperial architecture and examples are found in every part of the continent. The term was not contemporary with the art it describes, but rather, is an invention of modern scholarship based on its similarity to Roman Architecture in forms and materials. Romanesque is characterized by a use of round or slightly pointed arches, barrel vaults, and cruciform piers supporting vaults.
In addition to cruck houses and hall houses, there were many other types of peasant dwellings throughout the Middle Ages. These included simple one-room cottages, which were little more than glorified huts, and more elaborate farmhouses, which had multiple rooms and even second floors. Some peasants also lived in communal buildings, such as longhouses or row houses, which were shared by several families. Embark on an exciting virtual tour around the world to explore some of the most famous medieval houses and their unique architectural features.
In later years the title of manor house in England lost particular significance, having been adopted by large country mansions that had no manorial foundation. Medieval castle architecture developed over centuries and went through various architectural styles. Norman castles set the standard for castle designs and instigated the style that developed into Romanesque architecture. Gothic architecture changed the game, although there was a delay before it was used for castle structures.
Architect Charles MacDougal designed a gray stone structure with details that resembled a stereotypical castle. By the 1920s, Los Angeles was filled with talented craftspeople and artists from across the globe, lured by studio work. The city was flush with dramatic, newly monied movie moguls and stars looking for luxurious living quarters befitting their new status. Picturesque, idealized versions of everything from Mediterranean villas to Spanish Missions and Greek Revival plantations began to pop up everywhere.
Grand country houses known as Pazo emerged in Iberia in the 17th century and were similar in form and function to manor houses. In Spain, fortified country palaces known as Alcázar were built between the 8th and 15th centuries, primarily by Muslim rulers. These sites were often fortified, owing to the incessant warfare that occurred across the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval period. The defence was never one of the true functions of the manor house – that need was fulfilled by medieval castles (and later on, forts).
Additionally, they offered little comparative advantages in insulation and lighting to justify the cost of installing them in a house. Later, towards the end of the 15th century, glaze windows started to become fashionable in wealthier households. Olga of Kiev famously exploited this vulnerability, when she subdued the city of Korosten by requesting a handful of doves and sparrows from every household. She then had sulfur sacks attached to the birds, to be set alight by her soldiers. Upon release, the birds flew to their cotes and coops in the town’s wooden houses.
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