Meet the Middle Ages
BackFriaries
In many medieval towns, there were monks or nuns belonging to the Dominican or Franciscan Orders. Even though they had given the same vows as other monks and nuns, they called themselves friars and sisters. They lived in special kinds of monasteries or nunneries, which had many different buildings with a large church belonging to it. Both the Franciscan and the Dominican friars were well educated and ordained as priests. The Dominicans were dressed in black and were called black friars. The Franciscan friars were dressed in grey, and therefore called grey friars.
The friaries were more open than the monasteries. They often received people for meetings, talks and cure of souls. There were lodgings for travellers as well. In the friaries, sick people were taken care of. The friaries also became educational centres with libraries, studies and teaching.
The friars were often out on the streets, talking to people. They also travelled around in the country-side to preach. They met many people and spread ideas and news from the town to the country-side.
Sometimes, political meetings were held at the friaries. Perhaps the negotiations about the founding of the Kalmar Union were held in the hall at the Dominican friary in Kalmar, in the summer of 1397.
During the Middle Ages, there were friaries in many Nordic towns, for example in Visby, Sigtuna, Skänninge, Kalmar, Lödöse and Skara. There were also mendicant nunneries in Kalmar, Skänninge and Stockholm.