"The financial accounts kept by the fabrique for Girona Cathedral provide exceptionally detailed records, allowing historians to calculate the total number of workers and the average employed per year."
"The results reveal that cathedral construction did not require massive numbers of workers. The size of the workforce was tightly controlled and governed by economic considerations."
"Workers were hired only when there was a clear need for their labour, resulting in sites that rarely carried surplus labour."
"Across the fifteenth century, the average number of workers employed per year was standardized over fifty-two weeks, providing a clearer picture of labor needs."
Historical evidence from Girona Cathedral indicates that medieval cathedral construction sites were often small, with a tightly controlled workforce. Financial accounts from the fabrique reveal that only essential laborers were employed, with no surplus workers present. The average number of workers was calculated based on detailed weekly records, showing that economic considerations dictated hiring practices. This challenges the popular notion of vast numbers of laborers involved in such monumental projects, highlighting a more efficient approach to construction during the medieval period.
#medieval-architecture #cathedral-construction #workforce-analysis #historical-evidence #economic-considerations
Read at Medievalists.net
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