After festivities in the hall, people might retire to more intimate
surroundings, moving through the building and arriving at ever more
exclusive spaces and controlled entries. Personal safety had something
to do with the design, to be sure, but also the dramatic ritual performance
of everyday activities. Two special areas developed—the
closet (the word for study) and the private garden (“secret” garden in
Italy). The closet was the lord’s private space; it was in fact a small
room with space for only one or two confidants. The closet might also
house a small library and a treasury of rare, precious, or wonderful objects.
To retire to the lord’s closet allowed the most confidential conversation.
World History
