Maker's marks can still be seen on some of the stones in Durham Cathedral. With time, maker's marks became a sign of pride and grew more elaborate. Such craftsmen carved their mark on every stone they cut, to enable them to calculate how much they were owed. Piecework was often reserved for new craftsmen or those recruited for short periods. They would either be paid by day, or by piece. Stone cutters often lived itinerant lifestyles, moving from one construction site to another. Athough stone cutting could take place all year, masons, the ones responsible for actually laying the stone, could not work in winter, as frost would prevent the mortar from binding the stones. For example, as transport was very costly, stones were often dressed (shaped) in the quarry. Practical considerations determined the work process. Higher-skilled workers linked to a construction site included quarrymen, plasterers, mortar-makers, stone-cutters, and masons. Contrary to the common belief that much of this was voluntary labour, substantial records exist to prove that most labourers were paid. At the lower end of the scale were labourers who would do basic jobs such as transporting building materials, digging for the foundations, or removing earth. The workforce involved in the construction of a cathedral varied considerably in terms of skill. © National Library of the Netherlands Labourers & Builders This image from a fourteenth-century French manuscript, (Folio 19 of Giuard des Moulin's Grande Bible Historial) illustrates that well. Being involved in the construction of a cathedral, even as the building patron, required a willingness to be part of a process that was larger than oneself.īuilding in medieval times was as complex a process as it is today, involving an 'assembly line' of craftsmen. There was always a faction among the pious that disapproved of excessive spending on the construction and decoration of lavish religious buildings, but these were a minority, and the dominant feeling was one of great enthusiasm, ambition, and a desire to excel in this quest to construct magnificent buildings reflecting God's glory.Īs cathedrals took decades, and often even centuries to complete, few people who worked on them expected to see them finished during their lifetimes. From the mid-twelfth century, the Church started granting indulgences (forgiveness of sins) to those who would help to build a church or cathedral, and therefore, rather than going on crusades, which had been a popular means of absolving sins in the late eleventh century, people dedicated more effort to the construction of houses of God instead. The building of monumental cathedrals in the middle ages was a reflection of faith and the channel for much of the creative energy of medieval European society.Īlthough cathedral building was driven by religious figures or institutions, it was often a community effort. Cathedral Building As an Expression of Faith Find out what drove people to build such monumental buildings, and how they did it. The scale of medieval cathedrals amazes visitors to this day.
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