An Archaeology of the Noble House. The Spatial Organisation of Fifteenth- and Sixteenth-Century Castles and Country Houses in the Low Countries and the Privacy Debate

This article studies the spatial organisation and room specialisation of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century castles and houses in what is now the Netherlands, Belgium, and the border region of north-western Germany. What was the function of the hall in this period and which new rooms were introduced in the castle? These questions will be answered on the basis of the careful study of fifty late medieval inventories from thirty-seven castles and noble houses. The developments in room use and room specialisation will be placed in a comparative, international context and studied concomitantly with the discourse on privacy.