Cellarium

The cellarium of Fountains Abbey, England

A cellarium (from the Latin cella, "pantry"), also known as an undercroft, was a storehouse or storeroom, usually in a medieval monastery or castle. In English monasteries it was usually located in or under the buildings on the west range of the cloister.[1]

The monastery's supplies of food, ale and wines were stored there, under the supervision of the cellarer, one of the monastery's obedientiaries. He was often assisted by a sub-cellarer.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Cook, George Henry (1961). English Monasteries in the Middle Ages. Phoenix House. p. 71.
  2. ↑ Wright, Geoffrey N. (2008). Discovering Abbeys and Priories. Osprey Publishing. p. 17. ISBN 9780747805892.