Archaeologists unearth medieval convent’s heating system during renovations in Switzerland
Gnadental convent was built outside Basel's city wall for Franciscans around 1231, later becoming a temporary home for several orders.
During renovations in Basel, Switzerland, archaeologists uncovered a remarkably preserved medieval heating system from a 13th or 14th century convent. The Gnadental convent, established around 1231, once housed multiple women's orders before being abandoned during the Reformation. The underground chamber, filled with fieldstones, stored heat and had a firing channel with two original pointed arches and eight closable openings for releasing warm air into the dining hall.
The find, now part of the Petersgraben 52 renovation project, adds to the limited knowledge of such systems in Switzerland and Europe.
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