Compte de L'Oeuvre de la Cathédrale de Chartres en 1415-1416 by Luc. Merlet

(11 User reviews)   4052
By Abil Kile Posted on Dec 30, 2025
In Category - History
Merlet, Luc. (Lucien), 1827-1898 Merlet, Luc. (Lucien), 1827-1898
French
Hey, I just read this fascinating little book that feels like finding someone's forgotten shopping list from 1416—except it's for building a cathedral! It's not a story with characters, but a real financial record from Chartres Cathedral. The mystery here is in the numbers: What does it cost to maintain one of the world's most stunning buildings in the Middle Ages? Who got paid, and for what? It's a dry title, but it opens a direct window into the everyday hustle behind the holy silence. If you've ever stared up at a Gothic masterpiece and wondered about the people who swept its floors or bought its candles, this account book has quiet answers.
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3. The Content must be used solely for a non-commercial purpose. Although this blanket permission to reproduce the Content is given freely such that no special permission is required, the Bahá’í International Community retains full copyright protection for all Content included at this Site under all applicable national and international laws. For permission to publish, transmit, display or otherwise use the Content for any commercial purpose, please contact us (http://reference.bahai.org/en/contact.html). CONTENTS Baha’i Terms of Use Preface Introduction A Description of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas by Shoghi Effendi The Kitáb-i-Aqdas Some Texts Revealed By Bahá’u’lláh Supplementary To The Kitáb-i-Aqdas The Tablet of Ishráqát Long Obligatory Prayer Medium Obligatory Prayer Short Obligatory Prayer Prayer For The Dead Questions And Answers Synopsis And Codification Of The Laws And Ordinances Of The Kitáb-i-Aqdas Summary Of Contents Synopsis And Codification Notes 1. the sweet-smelling savour of My garment #4 2. We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and power. #5 3. We have enjoined obligatory prayer upon you #6 4. nine rak’áhs #6 5. at noon and in the morning and the evening #6 6. We have relieved you of a greater number #6 7. When ye desire to perform this prayer, turn ye towards the Court of My Most Holy Presence, this Hallowed Spot that God hath ... decreed to be the Point of Adoration for the denizens of the Cities of Eternity #6 8. and when the Sun of Truth and Utterance shall set, turn your faces towards the Spot that We have ordained for you #6 9. We have set forth the details of obligatory prayer in another Tablet. #8 10. the Prayer for the Dead #8 11. six specific passages have been sent down by God, the Revealer of Verses #8 12. Hair doth not invalidate your prayer, nor aught from which the spirit hath departed, such as bones and the like. Ye are free to wear the fur of the sable as ye would that of the beaver, the squirrel, and other animals #9 13. We have commanded you to pray and fast from the beginning of maturity #10 14. He hath exempted from this those who are weak from illness or age #10 15. God hath granted you leave to prostrate yourselves on any surface that is clean, for We have removed in this regard the limitation that had been laid down in the Book # 10 16. Let him that findeth no water for ablution repeat five times the words "In the Name of God, the Most Pure, the Most Pure", and then proceed to his devotions. #10 17. In regions where the days and nights grow long, let times of prayer be gauged by clocks and other instruments that mark the passage of the hours. #10 18. We have absolved you from the requirement of performing the Prayer of the Signs. #11 19. Save in the Prayer for the Dead, the practice of congregational prayer hath been annulled. #12 20. God hath exempted women who are in their courses from obligatory prayer and fasting. #13 21. When travelling, if ye should stop and rest in some safe spot, perform ye—men and women alike—a single prostration in place of each unsaid Obligatory Prayer #14 22. Upon completing your prostrations, seat yourselves cross-legged #14 23. Say: God hath made My hidden love the key to the Treasure #15 24. O Pen of the Most High! #16 25. We have enjoined upon you fasting during a brief period #16 26. and at its close have designated for you Naw-Rúz as a feast #16 27. Let the days in...

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Don't expect a novel. Compte de L'Oeuvre de la Cathédrale de Chartres is exactly what the title says: the official financial account for the cathedral's fabric (the 'Oeuvre') for one year, 1415-1416. Edited by historian Lucien Merlet, it's a primary source, a ledger. The 'plot' is the year's budget. It lists income from rents and offerings, and every single expense—paying stonemasons, buying nails and glass, purchasing wax for candles, even covering travel costs for the canons. The story it tells is one of relentless, practical maintenance of a sacred space during the tumultuous Hundred Years' War.

Why You Should Read It

This book turns a monument into a workplace. Chartres Cathedral stops being just a silent, perfect postcard and becomes a living institution with leaky roofs and payroll. You see the human scale of the divine. A few lines for a payment to the 'serpent player' on feast days suddenly fills the stone vaults with sound. An entry for cleaning the choir reminds you that medieval floors got dirty, too. It's history from the ground up, told in the language of commerce and care. Merlet's presentation makes this accessible, providing just enough context to let the document speak for itself.

Final Verdict

This is a niche read, but a rewarding one. It's perfect for history buffs who love real documents, for fans of Chartres or Gothic architecture who want to go beyond the guidebooks, and for anyone curious about the unglamorous, daily reality behind historical wonders. It's not a page-turner, but a contemplative piece. Think of it as an archaeological dig in book form, where you're brushing away centuries of dust to find the receipts.



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Edward Clark
8 months ago

I came across this while browsing and the pacing is just right, keeping you engaged. A true masterpiece.

4.5
4.5 out of 5 (11 User reviews )

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