音频游览 15 - The manorial room

Enter the manorial room. You are in the Lord’s State room. This room evokes the manorial interior of the 15th century.

It is set with furniture and items which are copies manufactured from the original models taken from museum collections or archaeological excavations. 

Please get closer to the table, It is a simple wood board placed on two trestles. This is where the Lord and his family used to have his meals. There is a jug in the shape of a horse, near to the large container which is called an “aquamanile.” Aqua means water and manile for hands so, this object was used to wash one’s hands before eating. Very often, it was “zoomorphe”, meaning made in the shape of an animal.

Often embroidered, the fabric wall coverings did not only have a decorative role. They were to protect from the cold and humidity. It required a lot of work to make them.

Behind the table, there is a piece of very ingeniously made furniture, called a “dizzy bench”. Placed in front of the chimney pot, this bench was used to heat one’s back or one’s face, but it has disappeared today. You just swivel the seat back and change the side.

Have you noticed the opening in the wall? It leads to a quaint, small room. What was it used for? Here is a clue: this is the smallest room of the house. Yes, that’s it, the toilet and was called in the past a “latrine”.

Have you noticed the bed? It has a wooden frame laid on trestles and also a canopy hung by four ropes.

Do you know the name of the big piece of oak furniture where the crockery is placed?Well, it is a dresser. The best pieces of crockery used for the table were displayed on it. You can see terracotta jugs, pewter plates and glasses.