Casas encaramadas - History Lab

Plan of a perched house in 1752. Lezuza

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:31:09 +0000

In the Modern Age, the type and composition of the dwelling was determined by the economic level of the individuals who lived there. Of the diverse typology that existed, the perched houses were the most common in inland Spain. What is a perched house? They are dwellings with a floor or chamber of low height that were accessed by means of a ladder or a masonry staircase. The floor of the house was made of rammed clay soil, although it could also be made of plaster or wood laid on planks. While the ground floor of the house was divided into several rooms or halls, the second floor had no dividing elements and could occupy all or part of the surface area.
The plan shown here corresponds to the house of the wealthy scribe Cristóbal Vázquez of Lezuza, consisting of a doorway, kitchen, two perched rooms, a hanging, a tack room and a corral. In this case, the first floor is located above the ground floor sections of the rooms and the doorway. The second part of the dwelling, the corral and stables, had its own exit to the outside through a gate to facilitate communication.

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Masonry staircase to access a chamber. Encina Hermosa (Albacete)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:31:03 +0000

During the Modern Age, the most basic types of dwellings were the tiled house and the casemented house; what was the difference? While the former only consisted of a ground floor, the latter had another structure in the form of a chamber or first floor. In the latter case, access could be either inside or outside the main core of the home: through a courtyard. The stairs could be made of hand or masonry. The photograph, from the site of Encina Hermosa (Albacete), shows an example of the latter. It is a solid staircase with a stone and mud base, plastered in later periods with cement. At the top of the staircase there is an entrance door to the chamber with a hinge, knocker and eaves made of flared tiles. In the lower part there is a window with glass panes and an iron grille for protection.
Despite its sobriety, the strength of the structure was essential to ensure its durability, especially given the importance of the chamber in modern times, when it was used as a storehouse for grain, farm implements and household goods.

The post Masonry staircase to access a chamber. Encina Hermosa (Albacete) first appeared on History Lab.