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Why were medieval chandeliers and candlebeams suspended with pulleys?

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Candles and candlesticks — candlestick An assortment of decorative candles and candlesticks arranged for display.

Medieval chandeliers and candlebeams were suspended by chains attached to a rope passing over a pulley to allow the entire fixture to be lowered as needed for the purpose of snuffing the candles.1

By using this pulley system, individuals could easily bring the lighting fixture down to a reachable height to trim the wicks or extinguish the flames, a necessary maintenance task for these hanging candleholders.1