Rooms with oriel windows in the first and second floors of theChâteau du Haut-Kœnigsbourg (Alsace, F

Rooms with oriel windows in the first and second floors of theChâteau du Haut-Kœnigsbourg (Alsace, France).The oriel room first appeared in the 13th century,due to increasing affluence and a desire for privacy.  It was a smallprojecting room, often made of wood, that served as a secluded cornerfor the lord and his family, and was situated off the upper end ofthe hall, accessible from the great chamber.  Sometimes it was alanding at the top of external stairs, built over a small room on theground floor.  It usually had a window, and sometimes a fireplace.In the 14th century, these small oriel rooms expanded intolarge upper-floor oriel windows.  The difference between anoriel window and a bay window is that the former is not in contactwith the ground. -- source link

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