Preferred term

Archebanc

Definition

n. F; from arch, arca, bank. A long bench or settle of the medieval and Renaissance periods, wide enough for several persons and having or not, a seat with a chest beneath, arms at the ends, and a high back. In the late Middle Ages they were used in the living room, and as a bench at the foot of a bed or as an bed archebanc. In the 16th century some imitate the decorative Italian cassapanche, with back and arms, profusely decorated. In provincial environments, the archibanch is placed next to the hearth, especially in the north of the Iberian Peninsula.