Baroque Kitchen

In the 15th–17th centuries, the functional layout of castle interiors — including the kitchen — changed very little. However, the technology of a modern kitchen is radically different, making it difficult for today’s visitors to imagine how meals were prepared and served under such seemingly simple conditions. This is why kitchens with medieval roots, such as the one in Szigliget, attract so much interest. The raised, open‑chimney kitchen opened directly from the courtyard, where a well provided fresh water. The entrance was guarded by a doorkeeper to prevent unauthorized access. Inside, shelves along the walls held the tools needed for cooking; additional shelves displayed pots, pans, lids, and copper cauldrons. On the hearth, food was cooked over an open fire using iron grates and pans, while larger pots were hung from chains above the flames. Meals were often prepared in clay pots on a lower hearth. Simple, undecorated tables stood in front of the fireplace, holding baskets and wooden troughs. The room to the right had originally been a living space. Later it served as a storage room, and eventually it was converted into a bakehouse. Its oven was used for baking dough, flatbreads, pies, and pretzels, as well as for supplying bread to the castle’s inhabitants. The room on the left was also a living space, equipped with a tile stove and a large window, and served as the quarters for the cooks. Daily meals followed the customs of medieval Hungary and were eaten communally according to strict rules. Everyone had an assigned place at the table based on rank, and the type and amount of food served were regulated. The kitchen master oversaw every aspect of this order.