Provand's Lordship

Only four buildings still stand that were built during Glasgow’s medieval period, and one of the oldest of them is a home now known as Provand’s Lordship, which wears its middle ages design on the outside and holds a 17th century museum on the inside.

Built in 1471 the building was originally a part of a hospital complex. The lordship was likely used to house clergymen from the surrounding cathedrals and support staff from the hospital. While it is not the oldest of the remaining structures from the period, it is the oldest house, with the other structures being cathedrals or otherwise. Most of the other buildings belonging to the hospital were torn down over the past couple hundred years, with the lordship being the final piece of the site, saved by being donated to the city which turned it into a museum and protected historical site.

The museum that now decorates the home’s historic halls features a collection of 17th-century furniture donated to the site by an early 20th-century philanthropist. The lovely historic pieces are assembled in the museum as though they were still in use complete with a mannequin monk decked out in period robes. There are also displays of relating the history of the site itself, making sure that the ornate furniture does not eclipse the importance of medieval masonry.

The building recently underwent a major face-lift,  to secure the foundation and structural integrity.  The most notable difference is the protective coat over the entire building.