Station: [7] Vaulted structures

“How do you build a ceiling of stone? In the Middle Ages that wasn’t an easy feat. Carpenters can build a ceiling of beams and planks in no time, but wood isn’t suitable everywhere in a castle, because it is neither particularly fine nor can it bear heavy loads. Since Rutger is intent on having a particularly lordly and strong castle, he hires masons. They use bricks and stones to create the finest vaulted ceilings. To begin with, they erect wooden trestles to act as supports for the arches. Only after the last stone has been set can they dismantle the trestles. This certainly keeps the client happy: vaulted ceilings make a castle much more impressive.”