Conclusion
The accomplishments of the Gothic cathedral builders are immense. They are usually examined in terms of technical and artistic achievement, however, This seems shortsighted in view of their economic ramifications. The legacy of these works can be seen in technology, specialization and mobility of labor, and procedures in accounting. They thus served as a vehicle for the transformation of feudal society to the early capitalism which generated our modern world.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bishop, Morris, Middle Ages. New York: American Heritage Publishing Company, Inc., 1968, p. 37.
deRoover, R., “The Organization of Trade,” M.M. Poston, E.E. Rich, and Edward Miller, eds., Cambridge Economic History Cambridge: The University Press, 1963, p. 74.
Durant, Will, The Age of Faith. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1950, pp. 296, 556.
Halphen, Louis, “France in the Eleventh Century,” Cambridge Medieval History; III, H.M. Gwatkin, J.P. Whitney, J.B. Tan, and C.W. Previte-Orion, editors Cambridge: The University Press, 1964,p.133.
Howgrave-Graham, P., The Cathedrals of France. New York, 1959, p. 76.
Hurliman, Martin and Boney, Jean, French Cathedrals New York, 1967.
Johnson, H. Thomas, “Cathedral Building and the Medieval Economy,” Explorations in Entrepreneurial History Second Series, Vol. 5, No. 1(1967), pp. 191–210.
Johnson, H. Thomas, “Note: Relation of Building Volume and Construction Inputs,” Explorations in Entrepreneurial History Second Series, 5, 1 (1967), pp. 108–10.
Jones, Gwilym Peredur, “Building in Stone in Medieval Western Europe,” Cambridge Economic History of Europe, Vol. 11, M. Postan and E.E. Rich, editors Cambridge: The University Press, 1952, p. 505.
Judd, Denis, A History of Civilization. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1963, p.199.
Lopez, Robert S., “Economie et architecture medievales cela aurrait il tie ceci?” Annales; Economies, Societes, Civilisations, 7 (1952), pp. 433–438.
Mason, Steven F., History of the Sciences (New York: Collier Books), 1962, pp. 103–5.
Moyers, Bill, Listening to America (New York, 1971), p. 192.
Oldenburg, Zoe, “With Stone and Faith,” Great Cathedrals. New York: American Heritage Publishing Company, Inc., 1968, p. 19.
Osborne, Harold, ed., The Oxford Companion to Art. New York: Oxford University Press, 1970, p. 492.
Owen, Virginia Lee, “Gothic Cathedral Building as Public Works,” inEssays in Economic and Business History edited by James H. Soltow East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 1979, pp. 283–292.
Russell, J.C., “Late Ancient and Medieval Population,” Transactions of the American Philosophical Society (Philadelphia, June 1958).
Sowards, Jesse Kelley, Westem Civilization to 1660. New York, 1964, p. 452.
Temko, Allan, Notre-Dame of Paris (New York, 1963), p. 114.
Thompson, James Westfall, Economic and Social History of Europe in the Later Middle Ages 1300–1500 New York: The Century Co., 1931, pp. 5–6.
Thompson, James Westfall, The Middle Ages 300–1500. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1931, pp. 734–5.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Owen, V.L. The economic legacy of gothic cathedral building: France and England compared. J Cult Econ 13, 89–100 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00219716
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00219716