A
refectory table is a highly elongated
table used originally for
dining in
monasteries in
Medieval times. In the
Late Middle Ages the table gradually became a
banqueting or
feasting table in
castles and other
noble residences. The original table
manufacture was by hand and created of
oak or
walnut; the design is based on a
trestle-style. Typically the table legs are supported by circumferential
stretchers positioned very low to the floor.
History
In its original use, one or more refectory tables were placed within the
monks' dining hall or refectory. The larger refectories would have a number of refectory tables where monks would take their meals, often while hearing
sermons addressed from an elevated stone
pulpit, frequently reached from a stone
staircase to one side of the refectory. Secular use of the refectory table is thought to have originated in the
Mediterranean regions of
Europe, where increasingly ornate designs were adopted by
Italian and other craftsmen. Adaptation of the refectory table outside the monasteries traveled to central and northern parts of Europe in the late 16th century. For example the
Italian artist
Giulio Romano traveled to
France in the first half of the 16th century and brought concepts of the Italian style to the French court of
Francis I. Later in the 16th century the secular refectory table spread to
Flemish and
German locales. While the Mediterranean refectory tables emphasized the use of
walnut,
oak wood became equally common in these more northern parts of Europe.
Notable examples
Stanford Hall in
Leicestershire,
England has numerous areas of early furnishings including one room with original 17th century furnishings including a refectory table and set of
Charles II chairs.
See also
Line notes
Category:Christian monastic architectureCategory:Tables (furniture) 
