Banal oven

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The four banal (English: banal oven) was a common municipal institution in medieval France. Generally ovens were owned by the feudal lord of the municipality and operated by an ovenmaster or fournier; personal ovens were generally outlawed, requiring users of the communal oven to pay a fee to the fournier to cook their food. Such ovens were masonry ovens built on the Roman plan, and were large enough to hold an entire community's ration of bread.

The oven design, but not the feudal monopoly on oven operation, was carried to French colonies, particularly Quebec. The banal system seems to have died out during the 18th century, though traditions surrounding it may have lasted as late as World War II. In some rural areas of France, the old banal ovens are still extant and are sometimes used for community celebrations.

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