Layout of medieval manor (Cijara, in Spain)

[writersaurusrex]

Greetings.  Long-time lurker, first time poster, always interesting stuff I see here.

Basically, I am helping run an rpg set in early 13th century Castile (Ars Magica).  We have decided to base our covenant (where the magi live and work) in Casa Palacio de Cijara.  However, we've found conflicting sites about the age of the manor (some say 17th

Comments

[littlebus]

Hmm... I've been able to find a number of pictures of the outside of the building but none of the inside. It looks like a closed building on national park land. GoogleMaps seems to show it has a fairly large paved courtyard, which would be consistent with Spanish architecture.

Here is a quote from a travelogue "An Architect's Note-book in Spain: principally illustrating the domestic architecture of that country" available on Project Gutenberg:

This plate introduces us to the most striking feature of all important Spanish houses, the Patio, or internal courtyard, answering to and perpetuating the Atrium of Roman architecture, with its impluvium and compluvium, and corresponding with the ordinary Cortile of the Italians. It is usually rectangular in plan, and entirely surrounded upon at least two stories by arcading, behind which run passages into which open the doors of every principal set of apartments of the house. There are rarely many windows in the walls of the Patios, as the rooms generally occupy the whole width intervening between the Patio walls, and the external walls of the house from which the light is mainly derived. There are, however, usually more windows on the lower story of the Patio than on the upper, since the chief saloons requiring most light were on the first floor, while much of the lower floor was occupied as was also usual in Italy, by retainers, servants, poor guests, mendicant friars and administradores-to say nothing of mules, and horses with stores and munitions of all sorts.

Nothing can be more picturesque or better suited to the climate than these Patios, since owing to the deep arcades which surround the open part (the Cavædium) of the court-yard upon more stories than one, there is always some portion of the arcade in which shelter can be obtained from sun, rain, or wind, and in which the occupants of the several apartments can sit and work, or lounge and smoke, in abundant but not unbearable light, and perfect comfort. This facility of outlet enables them, during the hours when the sun shines most fiercely, to keep their living and sleeping rooms dark and cool, and in exactly the state to make the midday meal and subsequent siesta truly luxurious and refreshing.

One open staircase usually connects the upper and lower arcades; admission is rarely given to the whole building at more than one point, the great door, adjoining which is almost always to be found the concierge, the janitor of the old Roman house, upon the model of which the Spaniards probably founded their notion of a residence at once noble and comfortable.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/33820/33820-h/33820-h.htm

[writersaurusrex]

That book/site looks pretty useful as well. I'm liking the two-story layout with the arcades and the apartments/rooms fronting the central patio.

Thank you.