Today’s word is: fratino. We will show you one of our pieces and the origin of the term. Finally, as usual, a curiosity linked to today’s word “fratino”.

What is the fratino?

The fratino is a long and narrow table with a thick top supported by two supports. The latter can be squared or turned and rest on the feet “skate” joined by a crossbar. It is a table of simple workmanship.

An example

Fratino is a very specific term and for this reason you may not have in mind the object we are talking about. In fact, we are sure that you know it as it is a very common table. That’s why today we decided to show you an image right away.

Among the many in our gallery we want to show you a baroque fratino table .

The legs are carved in volutes, connected by cross crossbars. These meet with a foliaceous element. The undercounter has a carved frame with the decorative element of the baccellatura (if you missed it we have already analyzed this word in our dictionary, you can find it here!). The single-axis plane was later reduced and a reinforcing frame was added.

Where does this term come from?

The birth of the friar is placed in the Middle Ages, more precisely in the refectories of medieval convents.

It was a table marked by simplicity around which the confreres sat. They were so close that it forced a “brotherhood” to pass things on to each other. From here originates “fratina”.

And today?

The term “fratina” with the passage of time has expanded to indicate any rustic, long and rectangular table. Even if, by now, you are used to this, it is not really correct to use fratino in these terms.

Curiosities about the friar

The term “fratina” indicates not only the table but also a type of chair. This was born in England in the mid-sixteenth century; Now it is practically nowhere to be found.

His name was monk’s chair or chair table. It had a very high backrest that could be lowered using pins. The result was a small table, always of the “fratina” shape. Depending on the occasion, therefore, it could be used as a table or as a chair.

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