Chartres, Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption
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Studies

X These draft studies have been written as if all carvings were by an individual whereas they can equally be analysed as template modes employed by a number of carvers. The more personal approach was necessitated by the complexity of the data. The drafts will be reconsidered after I have added the rib vault material to the database.

Portal Impost Study

1134 Destruction of town by fire. HUJUS TEMPORE, CIVITAS CARNOTENSIS, RESERVATA PER DEI GRATIAM ECCLESIA, FUIT TOTA COMBUSTA, ANNO DOMINI MCXXXIIII:... At this time, the city of Chartres, except by the grace of God the church, was completely destroyed by fire, the year of Our Lord 1134. Source: Merlet and de Lépinois, 1862, i, 18.

1134, 5 September Destruction of town by fire ...IN QUA FERE TOTA CIVITATE CONSUMPTA, SED PER MIRABILEM JESU CHRISTI MISERICORDIAM SUAE GENETRICIS AECCLESIA A FLAMMIS INCUMBENTIBUS LIBERATA... ...by which fully all of the town was consumed, but through the wonderful pity of Jesus Christ, the church of His mother was saved from the flames... Source: ****source**** which of following? Abbé Clerval, Translationes Sancti Aniani, in Analecta Bollantiana, vii, 335. Sancti Fulberti Carnotensis episcopi epistolae in Migne, Patrologia latina, vol. 141, E ??? Merlet and Clerval, Un Manuscrit Chartrain du XI siecle, 57, 84-5. The town was destroyed, but not the church.

1139 Gift for one tower. VII KALENDAS JULII ...ANSGERIUS, ARCHIDIACONUS ET SACERDOS BEATE MARIE, QUI DEDIT...XX SOLIDOS AD EDIFICATIONEM TURRIS. June 25 - ...Ansgerius, archdeacon and priest of Notre-Dame, who gave...20 sols for the building of the tower. Source: Merlet and de Lépinois, Cartulaire, iii, pp. 130-131. Ansgerius is last mentioned in January, 1139, so the date may be approximate; Merlet and de Lépinois, 1862, i, 147-148.

1145 Cathedral under construction APUD CARNOTUM COEPERUNT [HOMINES] IN HUMILITATE QUADRIGAS ET CARPENTA TRAHERE AD OPUS ECCLESIE CONSTRUENDAE,... At Chartres [the men] have begun humbly to pull teams and carriages to the work of the church being constructed,... Source: Roberti Abbatis de Monte, Appendice ad Sigbertum, in Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France, xiv, 319, note (a).

1145 Two western towers under construction. HOC EODEM ANNO COEPERUNT HOMINES PRIUS APUD CARNOTUM CARROS LAPIDIBUS ONUSTOS ET LIGNIS, ANNONA ET REBUS ALIIS SUIS HUMERIS TRAHERE AD OPUS ECCLESIAE CUJUC TURRES TUNC FIEBANT;... In this year our ancestors came together at Chartres, to drag with their own shoulders wagons filled with stone and wood, grain and other materials, to the work site of the church, whose towers were then being made;... Source: Roberti Abbatis de Monte, Appendice ad Sigbertum, in Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France, xiv, 318-319.

1149 or later Donations. IIII NONES APRILIS (2 APRIL) ...SUBDIACONUS ATQUE PREPOSITUS...AD OPUS TURRIUM QUINDECIM LIBRAS DIMISIT... VI NONIS OCT. (2 OCT) ...REINERIUS, ...ARCHIDIACONUS, ..., ET AD EDIFICATIONEM TURRIM C SOLIDOS DIMISIT. VII KAL. NOV. (21 OCT) ...SYMON, DIACONUS ET CANONICUS...XL QUOQUE SOLIDOS AD OPUS TURRIUM DEDIT. April 2 - ...subdeacon and also praepositus...donated £50 for the work on the towers... October 2 - ...Renier,... archdeacon,...and for the construction of the towers donated 100 sous. October 21 - Simon, deacon and canon,...donated 40 of these sous for the work on the towers. Source: Merlet and de Lépinois, 1862, iii, 80, 189, and 200.

1150 ca. and 1155 Obits mention only one tower under construction "V IDUS JAN (9 JAN) ...HEMELINUS...PRECENTOR...LX QUOQUE SOLIDOS AD TURREM..." "KAL FEB (1 FEB) ...GOSLINUS,...AD OPUS TURRIS C[ENTUM] LIBRAS DERELIQUIT..." "II KAL NOV (31 OCT) ...ERNALDUS,...AD OPUS TURRIS C SOLIDOS DEDIT..." January 9 - ...Hemelin,...precentor,...60 of these sous to the tower. February 1 - ...Gosclin,...left £100 to the work of the tower. October 31 - ...Ernaud,...left 100 sous to the work of the tower. Source: E. de Lepinois and L. Merlet, "Cartulaire de Notre-Dame de Chartres",1963, iii, 17, 33 and 205.

1194, 9 or 10 June The fire. CUM ECCLESIA CARNOTENSIS III IDUS JUNII MIRABILI AC MISERABILI FUISSET INCENDIO DEVASTATA [ITA] UT CONQUASSATIS ET DISSOLUTIS POSTMODEM PARIETIBUS ET IN TERRAM PROSTRATIS, NECESSARIUM FORET EAM A FUNDAMENTIS REPARARI ET NOVAM DENUO EDIFICARI ECCLESIAM...EPISCOPUS ET CANONICI...EX PROPRIIS REDDITIBUS TRIBUS ANNIS PECUNIAM CONTULISSENT; QUOD SIQUIDEM, TRANSA[U]CTO EODEM TRIENNIO, OMNIBUS MANIFESTUM APPARUIT, CUM OMNIBUS SUBITO PECUNIO DEFECISSET, ITA UT QUI PREERANT OPERI QUOD DARETUR OPERARIIS NON HABERENT,...BEATA DEI GENETRIX NOVAM ET INCOMPARABILEM ECCLESIAM SIBI VOLENS FABRICARI AD FACIENDA IBIDEM MIRACULA,... ...the church at Chartres had been devastated by an extraordinary and lamentable fire making it necessary later, after the walls had been broken up and demolished and leveled to the ground, to repair the foundations and then erect a new church...And was rebuilt for the first three years from funds from the clergy and bishop...at the end of the three year period when all the finances suddenly gave out, so that the supervisors had no wages for the workmen, the Mother of God created these miracles so that a new and beautiful church could be made... Source: "Miracula B. Marie Virginis in Carnotensi ecclesia facta......", compiled about 1210, now bound in Vatican MS Regina 339, fols. 55-69. From the "Miracula B. Marie Virginis in Carnotensi ecclesia facta......", compiled about 1210, now bound in Vatican MS Regina 339, fols. 55-69.

1204/1205 Donation of the head of St Anne by Louis, Count of Chartres and Blois XVII kalendas Maii (15 Avril) ...ETIAM CAPUT SANCTE ANNE, MATRIS BEATE VIRGINIS GENETRICIS DEI, APUD CONSTANTINOPOLIM ACQUISIVIT ET HUIC SANCTE ECCLESIE CUM PALLIO PRECIOSO TRANSMISIT. April 15 - ...also the head of Saint Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mother of God, acquired in Constantinople and brought here to the holy church to be with the precious cloak. Source: E. de Lepinois and L. Merlet, "Cartulaire de Notre-Dame de Chartres",1963, iii, 89. The date is limited between April 1204 and April 1205 by Delaporte, "Remarques…", pp. 299-320. The Count died in 1205.

1210 Robert of Berou gives money for glass ...ILLE ETIAM DEDIT FENESTRAM VITREAM IN CHORO CIRCA STALLUM CANCELLARII IN QUA IPSE DEPICTUS CONSPICITUR. ...that also donated the glass window in the choir near the stalls in which he himself can be seen depicted. Source: E. de Lepinois and L. Merlet, "Cartulaire de Notre-Dame de Chartres",1963, ii, 52.

1210 The priest curses the town from the pulpit. ...SACERDOTES ECCLESIE EIUSDEM, SINGULIS DIEBUS, PULPITUM ASCENDENTES,... ...the priest of this church ascend the pulpit each day,... Source: Merlet and de Lépinois, 1862, iii, 59.

1210 Philip Augustus’ gift and speaks from the steps in front of the church. ...ET DUCENTAS LIBRAS PARISIENSES OPUS EDIFICATIONIS EJUSDEM ECCLESIE CONTULIT...QUI, EX GRADIBUS ECCLESIE, FRONTEM EJUSDEM DOMUS,... ...and two hundred livres parisis used for the work of building this church...who, from the steps of the church, in front of this house,... Source: Merlet and de Lépinois, 1862, iii, 59. Earlier, the document speaks of the house of Dean William, ‘que in claustro Beate-Marie sita est’ (which is located in the cloister of Notre-Dame).

1215 or earlier Gift of pier by Robert of Blevia, location unknown "XII KAL. MARTII (18 FEB) ...ROBERTUS DE BLEVIA,...CAMERARIUS,...PRO UNO PILARA FACIENDO XXV LIBRAS. February 18 - Robert of Blevia,...treasurer,...for one pillar £25. Source: E. de Lepinois and L. Merlet, "Cartulaire de Notre-Dame de Chartres",1963, iii, 45-46.

1218/24 Completion of the vaults in a valedictory poem by le Breton to Philippe Auguste, Entitled "Gesta Philippi Augusti Guillelmi Armorici Libere" CONTIGIT HAUD MULTO DECURSO TEMPORE POST HEC, VIRGO DEI MATER, QUE VERBO SE DOCET ET RE CARNOTI DOMINAM, LAUDABILIORE PARATU ECCLESIAM REPARE VOLENS SPECIALITER IPSI QUEM DICAT IPSEN SIBI, MIRANDO PROVIDA CASU VULCANO FURERE AD LIBITUM PERMISIT I ILLAM UT MEDECIA FORET PRESENS EXUSTIO MORBI QUO DOMINI DOMUS ILLA SITU LAGUEBAT INERTI, ET CAUSAM FABRICE DARET ILLA RUINA FUTURE, CUI TOTO PAR NULLA HODIE SPLENDESCIT IN ORBE; QUE, LAPIDE EXCISO SURGENS NOVA, CORPORE TOTO SUB TESTUDINEO IAM CONSUMMATA DECORE, JUDICII NIHIL USQUE DIEM TIMET IGE NOCERE; MULTORUMQUE SALUS ILLO PROVENIT AB IGNE, QUORUM SUBSIDIIS OPERIS RENOVATIO FACTA EST. It happened that not long after this, The Virgin Mother of God, who teaches by word and deed That she is the mistress of Chartres, Desiring that the church which she called her very own Be restored specifically for Him with more praiseworthy adornment Provided Vulcan with a singular opportunity And allowed him to rage at will against it, So there might occur a salutary burning off of the malady Under which this house of the Lord lay prostrate, And this destruction might furnish an excuse for the succeeding structure Next to which none in the world gleams so brilliantly this day. Springing up anew, now finished in its entirety of cut stone Beneath elegant vaults, It fears no harm from fire 'till judgement day; And salvation from that fire appears to many Through whose aid the renewed work was brought about. Source: "Oeuvres de Rigord et de Guillaume le Breton, Historiens de Philippe-Auguste", ed. H. François Delabord, Paris, 1882, 196. Translation from Branner, 96-97. On p.48 Delabord reasons that the poem must be dated between 4 July 1218 and 4 July 1224. Jan van der Meulen, "Recent literature on the chronology of Chartres cathedral", The Art Bulletin, xlix 1967, 152-172 [153 note 14]. Deremble Manhes, "Guillaume le Breton et la chronologie de Notre-Dame de Chartres," Notre-Dame de Chartres, lxxvi 1988, 11-16 argues for a date before 1217.

1221 Concerning the new choir stalls DE JURE CANTORIS SUPER STALLA ECCLESIE CARNOTENSIS ...IN CHORO NOSTRE ECCLESIE NOVA STALLA FORME INSOLITE NOVA DISPOSITIONE PONENTES... The Rights of the Cantor over the Stalls of the Church of Chartres ...in the choir of our church are exceptionally formed, newly arranged stalls... Source: E. de Lepinois and L. Merlet, "Cartulaire de Notre-Dame de Chartres",1963, ii, 95-96.

1224, May 26 Transfer of money changers from south porch to cloisters ...QUOD STALLA MERCERIORUM QUE SOLENT ESSE IN CAPITELLIS, COLLOCANTUR IN CLAUSTRO, A PARTE MERIDIANA, INTER GRADUS ECCLESIE ET MAJOREM TURRIM, ITA QUOD OMNIS JUSTICIA STALLORUM ET DOMUS IN QUA COLLOCATA FUERENT ET IPSORUM MERCERIORUM SIT CAPITULI, NEC ILLE QUI ELECTUS FUERIT IN DECANUM VALEAT RECLAMARE... ...the stalls of the moneychangers which are by custom in the porch, be set up in the cloister to the south, between the steps of the church and the main tower, so that all the dues from the stalls and from the house in which they have been set up and the moneychangers themselves might belong to the Chapter, and that whoever should be elected to the deanship might not lay claim to them... Source: E. de Lepinois and L. Merlet, "Cartulaire de Notre-Dame de Chartres",1963, ii, 103. This text has caused considerable confusion since it was mis-translated. See discussion in van der Meulan, "Literature…", page 154, and Branner, Chartres Cathedral, pp. 98-99.

Undated Several donations to the fabric XIII KAL. MARTII (17 FEB) ...SYMON DE BEROU...OPERI HUJUS ECCLESIE L LIBRAS LEGAVIT ET OCTO ANULOS AUREOS. VI KAL APRILIS (27 March) ...TERRICUS DE CORBOLIO,...HUJUS ECCLESIE FABRICE TRIGINTA LIBRAS LEGAVIT. II KAL. OCT (30 SEPT.) ...JOHANNES, SACRISTES, QUI HUIC ECCLESIAM DECORAVIT VITREA, ET AD OPUS ECCLESIE DEDIT C SOLIDOS... XVII KAL. JAN. (16 DEC.) ...HAMERICUS DE FOLIETO,...AD CONSTRUCTIONEM HUJUS ECCLESIE XXX LIBRAS DEVOTUS LEGAVIT. February 17 - ...Simon of Berou...left £50 and eight gold rings for the work of this church. March 27 - ...Thierry of Corbeil,...left £30 for the fabric of the church. September 30 - ...Jean, sacrist, who had endowed this church with glass, and dedicated 100 sous for the work of the church. December 16 - ...Aimery of Feuillet,...left £30 for the construction of the church. Source: E. de Lepinois and L. Merlet, "Cartulaire de Notre-Dame de Chartres",1963, iii, 44, 73, 188 and 222.