Builder's tools

In the Middles Ages, the masons who built cathedrals used a particular tool made of 5 articulated lengths. Each length corresponded to a unit of measurement : 'coudee', 'paume', 'palme', 'empan', 'pied'. The lengths were measured in 'ligne'. One 'ligne' measures 2.247 mm, the width of a grain of barley.

Measurement Equivalence in 'ligne' Metric equivalence in cm,
to the nearest hundredth
paume 34
palme 55
empan 89
pied 144
coudé e 233