Compte de L'Oeuvre de la Cathédrale de Chartres en 1415-1416

A rare medieval ledger opens a window onto the bustling workroom of Chartres Cathedral in the early fifteenth century. Discovered by accident among the accounts of the city’s Hôtel‑Dieu, the parchment has survived despite damp damage that erased the first few pages. The surviving entries give a precise, week‑by‑week picture of how the great stone edifice was funded and supplied.

Listeners will hear the meticulous bookkeeping of a network of clerics, masons and artisans, each line noting amounts of wax, silver‑capped chandeliers, copper crowns and bronze angels. The language is formal yet surprisingly vivid, recording ordinary purchases—“Arnoul Froumentin, 7 s 6 d”—alongside special festival expenditures for candles and adornments. These details bring the rhythm of medieval construction to life, showing how devotion and daily commerce intertwined.

Beyond the numbers, the record hints at the social fabric of Chartres: the roles of sub‑chantres, proviseurs and local priests who oversaw the work, and the communal effort to illuminate the sacred space. The careful hand of the scribe, free of corrections, underscores the seriousness with which this monumental project was managed, offering a tangible connection to a pivotal moment in the cathedral’s history.