III.3.1
THE AULA
The aula consists of a double-storied oblong hall divided
on the ground floor by a central cross partition into "the
abbot's sitting room" (mansio abbatis) and his "bedroom"
(dormitoriū). On the upper level is the abbot's "store room
and solarium" (supra camera et solarium), we are informed
by a title written in the pale-brown ink of the second scribe.[310]
On either side, along the entire length of the building,
there is a "porch brightened by arcades" (porticus arcubus
lucida and porticus similis). Both porches are accessible
from the abbot's living room and both have doors that open
to the exterior, two on the side of the annex, and one on
the opposite side giving access to a plot of land that may
have served as the abbot's garden. An opening in the center
of the southern gable wall of the aula leads through a
covered passage into the northern arm of the transept of
the Church (ad eclam ingressus). In the opposite gable wall
a similar passage connects the dormitory with a "privy"
(requisitum naturae), furnished with six seats.
Both dormitory and living room are heated by a "corner
fireplace" (caminata; caminata).[311]
Installed back to back
they probably shared a single chimney flue. The abbot's
living room is furnished with wall benches (sedilia) and two
cupboards for dishes and drinking vessels (
toregmata).
[312]
His
bedroom has eight "beds" (
lecti hic). One of these, set
slightly apart from the others and in closer proximity to the
fireplace, was presumably the abbot's.
