Soooo... who exactly paid for these massive Cathedrals? It was usually the Bishop of the church who decided he wanted a cathedral built (it was actually a big competition for many!); so the bishop would often put a percentage of his money toward the building of his cathedral. But from there the financing could come from many areas:
- On rare occasion the Head Church would sponsor a portion, if they deemed the current church in need of renovation.
- Other workers in the church (from priests, monks, to even janitors) would be fined a fee if tardy, sloppy in dress, etc...
-Rich citizen's would donate funds to the building, often in exchange for a say in the design or even a statue put in the cathedral in their honor
- Citizens of the city could offer free labor as penance for their sins
- Holy Relics could be viewed or were taken on tour for a fee
-Any local trade could be taxed for a portion of funds
Masons (Stone Workers) probably made up the largest portion of a Cathedral's work force. Often on each stone that a mason would cut and place, they would mark with their own special mason's mark. This was not for pride in their work; it was to insure that they got paid for each stone they placed.
Students made their own stone and Mason's Mark in class.
ASSIGNMENTS
-Bring in a Ruler
-Find and Print off the BLUEPRINT of your Cathedral
-Find and Print off all outside views of your Cathedral (front, rear, sides)
-Bring in box/boxes that fit the basic style of your cathedral structure (square, rectangle, etc). Nothing needs to be done to the boxes yet.
