This word, which was borrowed from French during a time when France was regarded as the pinnacle of all that was elegant and respectable, means "fireplace" in the latter language (the word is ultimately derived from the Latin word focus, "hearth"). The English term "fireplace" came into use around the 14th century. Before this time, people used open fires for heat as well as light; they just didn't have anything to put in front of these fires or mantles to hide them from view. Open fires were an important part of life for centuries after their introduction in Europe; the last ones to be removed from homes in some countries were taken away by firefighters during renovations or repairs to houses. At first, fireplaces were made out of stone with a hollow space inside where wood could be placed to burn freely without spreading its smoke outside the house. The first known example of such a fireplace was built around 270 CE by a Roman architect named Marcus Vitruvius Pollio. He called it a "foculus", which means "little burner" in Latin. The word "fireplace" itself comes from the French fire-broche, which means "kitchen knife". That's because in those days there were no electrical appliances, so everything had to be done by hand.