This is how they managed to endure the cold

Let’s start at the beginning: although it may seem like perogrullo, In the Middle Ages it was cold. It was cold, but not so much. At least, in Europe, there was a warm period (the “Climate optimal“) that systematically relieved the living conditions of the Europeans of the time. But around 1300 the thing changed radically: the Small Middle Ages He had started.

Was A disaster. And not only because of the cold, epidemics and the loss of entire crops, it was that European peoples did not have the necessary technology to warm themselves at home without putting their lives at risk.

No radiators, without chimneys, without crystals in the windows … the houses of the continent became unhealthy mousetracks full of associated risks.

And how did they warm up? That is the question that The history and disseminator professor Nuisia RARRIDI is made. After all, no matter how cold the temperatures of western Europe did at that time they had to be terrible. AND, As Raridi says“The houses were permanently crossed by air currents.”

We talk about a time when we had to “choose between leaving the light and the cold or neither.”

There weren’t windows? There were, of course. They were small and normally had no crystals. As Raredi explainedthe glass for the windows “appeared in the cathedrals around the 10th century.” Before that (and later), it was common relativamene to see churches that used basalt to try to solve the problem of light.

Because the glass problem is that it was expensive.

In fact, it was not until after 1300 (when the techniques had improved and the cold began to accentuate) when they began to be used in private homes – especially in accommodated houses.

And the issue of fire? How were there no chimneys? According to the documentation that He has collected RARRIDI“The chimneys, as we understand today, did not develop before the thirteenth century.” Until that time, as we can see in many places on the planet, the families lit fires in the center of the house and, consequently, the smoke filled the entire room (and went out where it could).

As if that were not enough: the homes were very badly isolated. “The medieval houses were often made of wood and were poorly isolated”, which meant “a real problem in the coldest months.” Hence the tapestries, carpets and canopy beds were popular (which, “were extremely practical: the curtains that surround them served to retain heat and protect themselves from cold”).

It doesn’t hurt to remember that for centuries, Europeans slept within cabinets and the explanation to her is this same.

Cold, heat and vice versa. Despite what Paleoclimatic discussion has become popular for the debates of Climate changeright now we don’t have much to learn about medieval techniques to pass the cold. However, knowing what we were, always helps expand the imagination about how the human being can live.

Image | Krzysztof Kowalik

In Xataka | The Middle Ages was not as dark as they told us