Medieval Heating System Discovered in Switzerland

BASEL, SWITZERLAND—SwissInfo reports that a nearly intact medieval heating system has been found at the site of Gnadental Convent, which was built outside the walls of the city of Basel around 1231. The heating system consisted of an underground chamber lined with stones to hold heat produced by a firebox channel beneath it. Eight openings allowed warm air to rise from the chamber up into a common room thought to have been used as a dining hall. The monastery was dissolved after the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century, but some of the buildings were repurposed, or new buildings were constructed with materials from the convent. To read more about Swiss medieval history, go to "Switzerland Everlasting."