ARCHI 157: History of World Architecture Middle Ages to 18th Century
Universe of Stone
Chapter 5: Building by Numbers
1. What happened to the façade of Chartres? Where is the centerline? How does this affect the
three portals?
2. What is the difference between the three portals of Chartres and the three portals of Notre
Dame in terms of how they open to the interior of the church?
3. What figures appear on the southernmost door of the cathedral?
4. How many figures are there carved on Chartres? Who was their intended audience in the
medieval era?
5. What was the cathedrals relation to the material world and the spiritual world according to
Abbot Suger?
6. What is the relation of geometry, order and religion in the gothic building era?
7. What three subjects did students study under the trivium?
8. What were the four subjects students studied under the quadrivium?
9. What was the studium generale?
10. What was the educational significance of the Chartres school in the middle ages?
11. What did Gerbert of Aurillac do that made Chartres significant?
ARCHI 157: History of World Architecture Middle Ages to 18th Century
Universe of Stone
12. What did Fulbert do that was of historical significance in the role of Chartres as a center of
learning? What method of inquiry did he promote?
13. How did the monks in the monasteries feel about the cathedral schools? How did Chartres
change this?
Chapter 6: Masters of Works
The Labyrinth
1. What is the purpose of the Labyrinth on the floor of Chartres? What was it used for and
currently used for today?
2. What is the relation of the Chartres labyrinth and the Lucca labyrinth? What does the
inscription read?
3. What was once at the center of the labyrinth at Chartres?
4. What is the relation of the rose window to the labyrinth?
5. What do we know of the master builders of Chartres? How does this compare with other
cathedrals?
6. What was the occupation typically of the master of works for a large building in the middle
ages? What is the title he would be given in the medieval texts?
7. What does arkhi-tekton mean in Greek?
ARCHI 157: History of World Architecture Middle Ages to 18th Century
Universe of Stone
8. What is the role or description typically found of the master builder in monastic records?
9. How did the monks work with William of Sens in the construction of their cathedral? How does
this show the significance of his position? What happened to him in 1178?
The Making of a Master
1. How did one progress from cutting stone to planning the great cathedrals?
2. What was freestone?
3. Did the master builders ever do any of the manual labor or physical work on the cathedrals
themselves?
4. What type of skills did the master mason need to rise to the level of master builder in charge of
a project? What were his duties? Describe in some detail (Page 146-148)
5. How were contracts guaranteed against fraud?
Who Made the Decisions?
1. From historical evidence who appears to have been more influential in the architectural decision
making – the patrons or the master builders?
2. How did donors affect the decisions that were made in the church architecture?
3. Describe how the master builder was sometimes required to fund parts of the project.
ARCHI 157: History of World Architecture Middle Ages to 18th Century
Universe of Stone
4. Do drawings exist of the high-gothic cathedrals? Where were the lines drawn during the
construction of the cathedral? How were models utilized (or not utilized) in their work?
5. What happened to drawings on parchment?
6. Were there dimensions on the drawings?
Line and Stone
1. What was the significance of geometry to construction and masonry?
2. What was the view of geometry by Hugh of St Victor in the 12th century? How did he categorize
its role?
3. Describe some of the methods and geometric forms used by the builders of the Gothic
cathedrals.
4. What was the possible role of spirals the cathedral construction?
5. How were the triangle and the square used to determine structural soundness according to
Stornaloco? How did this approach to geometry affect the Milan cathedral in Italy?
6. What was the role of the vesica pisces in constructing elements of the cathedrals?
ARCHI 157: History of World Architecture Middle Ages to 18th Century
Universe of Stone
The Enigmas of Villard
1. What did Villard de Honcourt do? What do we know about him? Give some detail of his work,
ideas and character (pages 162-169)