Why fireplaces were massively used in castles and palaces in Europe, not stoves

  • Mar 03, 2021
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Why fireplaces were massively used in castles and palaces in Europe, not stoves
Why fireplaces were massively used in castles and palaces in Europe, not stoves

Most people who watched films about the Middle Ages or the New Age, probably should have paid attention to the fact that fireplaces were massively used in castles and palaces of those times. It is possible that many were even lucky enough to visit some European castle in their lives and be convinced of this fact even live. Huge fireplaces seem to be an extremely impractical thing and not capable of heating huge rooms. But is it really so?

They are not as bad as they seem. / Photo: fi.pinterest.com.
They are not as bad as they seem. / Photo: fi.pinterest.com.

First impressions of fireplaces are deceiving. In fact, they heat the room perfectly. Moreover, the fireplace is still a stove, strictly speaking - one of its varieties. Of course, the fireplace heating system in the house is different from the heating system with a classic rustic stove. So, the stove first of all creates and maintains an acceptable microclimate in the room by heating the stone walls.

The fireplace heats no worse than the stove, it just does it differently. / Photo: yandex.by.
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Fireplaces work a little differently. They heat the air not so much from the walls as directly from the fire and the light emanating from it. Much of the heat from the fireplace comes with the infrared radiation emanating from the flame. In castles and palaces, fireplaces are used for a reason. This is because it is physically impossible to heat such huge rooms through the walls. Therefore, fireplaces are used to heat individual living quarters, literally heating only what is in front of them.

First of all, it heats the air, not the walls. / Photo: yandex.by.

A significant part of the warm air created by the fireplace is also dispersed through the ventilation system to individual rooms of the castle or palace. This is necessary not so much for heating secondary rooms and corridors, but for combating dampness in them and preventing the formation of mold.

READ ALSO: The British build wavy fences that are not inferior to ordinary fences in a fortress, and they require 2 times less bricks

In fact, the thing is extremely practical. / Photo: medieval.eu.

In addition, you should take into account two more important nuances regarding living in a medieval castle. Winters in western Europe are generally shorter and milder than in eastern Europe. In addition, the use of beds with heavy curtains or even sleeping places of prisoners in something like a box with a door was actively practiced in castles. Both helped to keep the air around the person warm throughout the night.

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It is also very beautiful. / Photo: pinterest.ru.

Continuing the topic, you can read about what is buleryan stove: pros and cons, is it worth contacting.
A source:
https://novate.ru/blogs/050720/55185/