Gothic and Middle-Ages
The fireplaces in the Middle Ages are monumental ! These Gothic mantels are often characterized by large open fireboxes and a lintel measuring 2 meters high or more. Generally installed leaning against the wall, their hood overlooks the jambs.
The fireplaces during the 12th to 15th centuries
The Gothic period is the time of cathedrals, large stained glass windows, gargoyles but also of the beginning of the secular architecture like that of universities. The search for light led the architects of the time to design architectures more and more daring. Architecture grew more and more audacious. The walls nearly disappeared allowing for large expanses of light streaming through bright colorful stained glass windows and rosettes. The ogive vault is the symbol of this style. The architecture, as well as all the decorative elements, are characterized by slender shapes, more and more complex with time. The decorative lines are more sinuous.
These Gothic or Middle Ages mantels were then essential pieces in a home as they were used to heat the large rooms in which they were installed., but were also used, of course, to cook.
It is really only in the 14th century that we really begin to see the first fireplaces' jambs placed between the floor and the corbels supporting the hood. The mantel's architecture begins to resemble to our traditional fireplaces as they are still designed today.
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→ As masters stonemasons, we can also offer Gothic fireplaces carved in natural limestone. For more information, do not hesitate to contact us or visit our website dedicated to stone cutting in the section "Antique-style fireplaces".
