Az experimentális tervezés, mint a rekonstrukció módszerei: Az esztergomi érseki palota 15. századi nagytermének fadonga tetőszerkezete
Experimental design as a method of reconstruction: The wooden log roof structure of the 15th-century great hall of the Esztergom Archbishop's Palace

Author(s): Konstantin Vukov
Subject(s): Architecture, History of Art
Published by: Pécsi Tudományegyetem Művészeti Kar Művészettörténet Tanszék
Keywords: experimental reconstruction; medieval carpentry; wooden barrel vault; Esztergom Palace; Gothic architecture; timber roof structures; architectural history; monument research; medieval engineering; reconstruction methodology
Summary/Abstract: The study presents an experimental design methodology for reconstructing the lost wooden barrel-vault roof structure of the fifteenth-century great hall in the archiepiscopal palace of Esztergom. The author combines archaeological research, architectural surveys, historical illustrations, and written sources in order to recreate the original structural system of the monumental hall. Special attention is devoted to eyewitness descriptions from the Ottoman period, which confirm that the large hall was covered by an unsupported wooden barrel vault. The paper explains that medieval carpentry techniques remained remarkably consistent between the thirteenth and seventeenth centuries, making historical analogies useful for reconstruction. Two principal types of wooden barrel-vault construction are analyzed: curved arch-frame systems and roof structures integrated with timber vaulting elements. Based on geometrical and structural considerations, the author argues that the Esztergom hall most likely employed a slightly pointed barrel-vault form rather than a semicircular one. The reconstruction process investigates dimensions, roof pitch, timber sizes, support systems, iron tie rods, and the organization of medieval carpentry work. The study also discusses the enormous logistical and technological challenges involved in selecting, transporting, assembling, and lifting the massive oak beams required for the roof. Comparisons with major European examples, including Padua, Vicenza, Paris, and Regensburg, demonstrate that the Esztergom hall belonged to the highest level of late medieval architectural achievement. The author concludes that experimental reconstructive design provides valuable insight into lost architectural forms and highlights the outstanding patronage of Archbishops Dénes Szécsi and János Vitéz in creating one of the most monumental halls of fifteenth-century Europe.

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