Measurements for medieval French fireplace?

Question

I stayed in a house this Spring in southern France built in 1604 by the monks of the region. The fireplace both heated the house and cooked their food. It was about 6 feet wide without sides and I could stand up inside it. Its depth at floor level was probably no more than 20 inches (about 50 cm), with the back of the fireplace slanting forward until it reached the height of the mantel (about 5 1/2 feet, or 165 cm) where it then met the chimney and a smoke shelf and continued to to highest point of the roof.
Could anyone tell me where to find architectual plans for this type of fireplace? It rained the entire first week I was there and the temperature never got above 20 degrees C. but this fireplace never smoked and heated a large room with a high ceiling day and night for a week using far less wood than the conventional type found in the US and Canada.
Can anybody help me?

Answer 1

With all due respect; NO I can't help; but have a suggestion or two. Obviously Engineers far ahead of their time.

Why not connect with the home owner; asking these same questions; most especially with regard to the house history; Then connect with some agencies or trades unions in france regarding construction; then French historical museums and societies.

On a lighter note; what a great excuse for another trip back; and take pictures; measurements; etc; and enjoy a glass of Bordeaux on the porch after.

Answer 2

Good success with that.... measurements weren't standardized till the flip of the 20 th century. Fanny Farmer and Escofier had been the 2 main advocates to make use of unique, correct, standardized recipes. There is a cause why the ones medieval recipes you might have are written in phrases of ultra-modern measurements. That's due to the fact that the originals had been enormously tricky to appreciate. It takes historians informed in historic meals and recipes to determine them out. I'm sorry, however you are simply no longer certified to do it in your possess. Try to uncover a few historic recipes at your nearby library that had been written as is. You'll see what I imply. You may not be equipped to respect plenty of the constituents, both. It is not a question of useful conversions. Very complicated.