Sources textuelles pour l’étude de la distribution dans les châteaux normands

Abstract

Textual sources for the study of space distribution in Norman castles. The specialization of spaces is a standard problem in the study of civil architecture. If the end of the Middle Ages really indicates an important step in this matter, the archeological, monumental or iconographie sources are comparatively of little use or of delicate interpretation. On the contrary, the textual sources can bring a decisive contribution to this history. The accounts of the royal building sites administration provide useful material about Normandy in the middle of the 15th century. Thus here are examined the specialization types (public/private, hierarchical, functional, etc...), and their space materialization (wings, floors, light partitions) in the royal castles of the province. The informations gathered are compared with the results coming from the bibliography on civil architecture in the 15th century.