Solutio hebdomadaria pro structura templi Pragensis : Building the St Vitus cathedral in the years 1372-78 II
Abstract
One of the main building crafts at the St Vitus Gothic cathedral constituted stonecutters, who produced stone construction components. St Vitus building accounts of 1372-78 enable description of the workings of the stonecutter's lodge, in which they were organized.
Working activities, numbers and fluctuation of the workers, in some cases also geographical migration are surveyed. Interpretation of the accounts enabled description of building works at particular years.
Deliveries of building materials (building stone, lime, building wood, etc.) as well as activities of actual building crafts (esp. carpenters, blacksmiths, stone setters and masons) and unskilled day labourers are surveyed. Their interpretation in wider context of material sources (esp. the church itself) enables reconstruction of individual construction phases of high quire of the cathedral.
The invoices document the costs of construction works and enable us to calculate the overall costs of the construction of the church.