knight's study
When the "small pallace" was build in the second half of the 12th century, this room was the only to receive vaults. The style is tardif romanic, while the pointed arches already announce the arrival of the gothic era. Like the doorway arches of the entrance hall and the doorway arch & window openings of the gallery, capitals of the vaults are richly decorated with fine ciselled stone.
This was the finest room of the castle and therefore with all probability reserved for the count.
history
It is the beginning of the withdrawal of the lords from the hall into private appartments. The "caminata" with a chimney heating the room provides a new luxury.
In 1446 the chamber was upgraded to a study (Stube / étuve) by the introduction of a tiled furnace inside the chimney. Some of the very richly decorated tyles from this furnace are exhibited inside the archeological crypt (circuit Nr. 3).
From the 17th century on, the room was known by the name "knight's study" (Ritterstube / étuve du cavalier) and was used as apartment by the captain (military commander) of the county of Vianden.
chain mail armour
While chain mail armor was already common in Celtic and Roman armies, it became more seldom during the dark ages. But the knights of the high middle ages rediscovered this very useful armor and used it for centuries, before it was replaced by plate armor.
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The two suits of chain mail on display are mogul armors from India, possibly 17th, more probably 18th century. In the east this type of armor was in use much longer then in western and central Europe
pistol, crossbow bolt & miniature barrel
Two-barreled pistol Schwartz
This pistol was build in Wiltz (L) by Henry Schwartz, in the beginning of the 19th century.
crossbow bolt
this is a 14th or 15th century bolt head found on the grounds of Vianden castle. Crossbows were in use for the defense of a castle prior to the development of fire weapons
miniature pistol barrel
This fully functional barrel was found on the grounds of Vianden castle. The inner cross-section of the barrel is heptagonal. The pistol probably dates form the 16th or 17th century and was operated by a wheellock mechanism. It might have been used for self defense
