The corbel table (Medieval, early Romanesque architecture)

The corbel table is the most characteristic feature of early Romanesque architecture in southern Europe. This article considers the corbel table as more than a separate decorative device, in the context of Lombard structure, construction, and design. The corbel table served a structural function similar to that of a relieving arch over doors and windows, and masons used it to stabilize vaults and walls. Later in the eleventh century, Burgundian masons refined the structure of the corbel table, and merged it with ashlar support to created the fully vaulted three-story elevation of Cluny III.