Financing Cathedral Building in the Middle Ages: The Generosity of the Faithful

This volume is the first complete overview of the process of commissioning and financing the construction of cathedrals during the Middle Ages. The first part of the book outlines the sources of wealth from which the commissioners of these projects could draw, including contributions from the bishop, the chapter, the city, and above all those parishioners for whom the structure was to be erected. The second part is a case study of the financing of Utrecht’s cathedral, for which the archives are among the best-preserved in Europe. Vroom concludes with an analysis of the financing for other notable cathedrals, including St. Peter’s in Rome.