1.8 Window Grates

Place-Royale boasts no fewer than 27 vaulted cellars. Since they maintain a constant temperature in all seasons, they were used to store all kinds of perishable goods, including wine, beer, rum, spirits, vinegar, oil, butter, cheese, salt pork, salt salmon, moose meat, and various types of fruits and vegetables. The cellars also helped to insulate the house from humidity in the lower level and to reinforce the main floor. Because the cellars had windows for ventilation, owners needed to install bars on the windows to prevent break-ins. The type of ironwork used is called a window grate, herse (portcullis) or étripe-chat (cat-gutter). It consists of a rectangular strip of wrought iron with curved pieces ending in a point along either side. Examples can be found on several houses in Place-Royale. Start the video Map of Place-Royale