In the Middle Ages it was freezing cold! There were no radiators, no glass in the windows, and so the houses were constantly crossed by drafts. The issue of windows is one of the first points addressed: if today it seems obvious to us to have glass to isolate the inside from the outside, in the Middle Ages it was not at all like that. The windows, when present, were small and, instead of glass, there were wooden shutters or oilcloths. You had to choose between letting in the light and the cold… or neither.
Glass was an expensive and rare material. It appeared in cathedrals around the 10th century, but in private homes it arrived only after 1300, and in any case it was the prerogative of the wealthy. Even when present, glass was opaque, of poor quality and often held together by lead grids. Its popular diffusion occurred only in the modern era.
How were houses heated?
Fireplaces, as we know them today, did not develop until 1200. They are probably an Italian invention, since the first written records come from documents of the Ancient Maritime Republic of Venice. Before this innovation, families would light a fire directly in the center of the room to keep warm and cook. Smoke would escape through holes in the roof, which made the rooms constantly smoky. The lack of chimneys meant that, even if you were warm, you were exposed to smoke for most of the day.
The construction of the houses itself did little to maintain heat. Medieval houses were often made of wood and poorly insulated, a real problem in the colder months. Even at night the cold gave no respite. Keeping the fire lit while you slept was risky, due to sparks and the possibility of fires.
The solution?
Cover up as much as possible in bed. Men and women in the Middle Ages slept under heavy blankets and wore caps to cover their heads, which had to remain uncovered during the night for obvious reasons.
The anecdote about canopy beds is curious, often considered an aesthetic whim. In reality, they were extremely practical: the curtains that surrounded them served to retain heat and protect against the cold and drafts. It was not a question of luxury, but of survival. The richest, moreover, covered the walls with tapestries and heavy curtains to limit the entry of cold air.
These anecdotes make us understand for the umpteenth time that we were lucky to be born in this historical era, where we have the tools to fight the cold in a much less complex way than in the last millennium.