Medieval Bishops Research Articles

A «Frenchman» in Portugal. Bishop D. Hugo of Porto and the transformations of the north-western Iberian Peninsula in the early 12th century

The aim of this article is to study Bishop of Porto D. Hugo, a key figure to understand the transformation of Portugal in the 12th century. Probably ailing from France, he was archdeacon in Compostela under Diego Gelmírez and consecrated bishop by Maurice of Braga. D. Hugo dealt with the most important problems of his time: the conflict between the See of Compostela and Braga, the political evolution of the County of Portugal and the relations with the Papacy. The study of D. Hugo reveals a very peculiar image of a medieval bishop: clergyman, politician, writer and tireless traveller.

Who Lies Here? The Tomb Monument of an Early-fourteenth Century Knight in Michelmersh Church

In the chancel of Michelmersh church is to be seen the fine early fourteenth-century effigy of an unidentified knight. On the evidence of the descent of the manor of Braishfield in Michelmersh, it is suggested that the person commemorated is Sir Roger Woodlock, nephew of Henry Woodlock, bishop of Winchester. Sir Roger's entry into the ranks of Hampshire landowning society affords a good example of how medieval bishops could use their power and wealth to advance the fortunes of their relatives and provide them with material landed endowment.

ARCHITECTURAL MONUMENTS OF THE MEDIEVAL LIVONIAN ORDER

The main purpose of the presented work is a cultural and historical analysis of the evolution of the cul-tural development of medieval Livonia on the example of monuments of defense architecture. The task is to conduct an art analysis of the existing variety of architectural forms of medieval castle complexes of the 13th and 16th centuries, located in different regions of Latvia and Estonia, which have undergone expansion by the feudal Germany, Denmark and Sweden. Creation of architectural and historical clas-sification of castle forms that were in the regions of the medieval Livonian Order of State in the Baltics. As a result of the analysis, the author summarized the historical diversity of the existing architectural and artistic forms of feudal castles of medieval Latvia and Estonia. The common and special in the ar-chitectural forms of castles on the basis of the introduction to this north-eastern region of Europe bor-rowed customs of European castle-building and architectural traditions of the monastic order of the Cistercians of Burgundy has been revealed. It is determined that the castle of the Order of Livon, the fortified residence of medieval bishops in Livonia and Estland, privately owned castles was a whole space, synthesized in the natural environment, social order, system world understanding of the knights-monks of the Order of Livon, which was directly reflected in the architectural forms of castle complexes of the 13th - 16th centuries. taking into account the existing pan-European and local architectural, de-fense and cultural differences. The study makes a significant contribution to the theory and history of art. A new scientific direction has been developed - the history and typology of the castle architecture of medieval Latvia and Estonia.

Application of Nanolimes for the Consolidation of Limestone from the Medieval Bishop's Palace, Lincoln, UK

Nanolimes are the first nanomaterials used in heritage conservation for natural stone consolidation. Thanks to their size, they show good penetration depth into substrates, high reactivity resulting in a faster carbonation process, and the ability to bridge cracks through the formation of a network of calcium carbonate cement. Two commercial nanolimes, CaLoSiL (IBZ Salzchemie) and Nanorestore (CSGI) and a dispersion of Ca(OH)2 nanoparticles, synthesized by an anionic exchange process, were applied to fresh and naturally weathered limestone specimens, previously removed from the medieval Bishop's Palace in Lincoln, UK. A protocol of non-destructive tests was defined to study the treatment effectiveness, both in the laboratory and on-site. The two commercial nanolimes exhibit a low penetration depth, accumulating on the surface and creating a white coating, and lead to only a small increase in surface hardness. On the contrary, the laboratory-synthesized consolidant was able to effect a good superficial consolidation, without affecting the water absorption and aesthetic properties of the specimens. These results, together with those obtained from the application and monitoring of the consolidants on-site, will be crucial for the planning of interventive conservation at the Bishop’s Palace.

Medieval Courtly Literature, Royal Patronage and World Harmony (III)

La musique vainc le diable, comme doit avoir dit Pythagore. Cette étude aborde le problème, pour la troisième fois déjà et à nouveau sur les traces de Stephen Jaeger, qui a défendu à ce propos aussi la thèse que bon nombre de ces principes spéculatifs tombaient dans la littérature vernaculaire. On suggère que l'harmonie cosmique est réunie à la Cour médiévale, telle que la Table Ronde d'Arthur, et que l'équilibre sous-entendu dans le concept de l'harmonie du monde se reflète. volens nolens, à la cour des rois médiévaux, princes et évèques (Jaeger, Origins of Courtliness). Une seconde analogie soutient que le concept d'harmonie cosmique correspond à la sphère sociale et humaine; comme le préconise Boethius, les humains peuvent aiguiser leur caractère en répondant convenablement à l'harmonie cosmique, conduisant ainsi à une connaissance personnelle plus profonde. Trois thèmes sont discutés: a) les buts de l'échelle de valeur de la littérature médiévale raffinée; b) l'arrière plan de la notion d'harmonie cosmique -que l'on retrouve dans la description de la Perfection, ou Homme Nouveau, une «union mystérieuse»- et qui est décrite dans deụx traités importants du douzième siècle, la Cosmographia de Bernardus Silvestris et l'Anti­claudianus de Alan of Lille. La dernière préoccupation est le but de l'harmonie du monde étant donné qu'elle suggère une fusion raffinée du divin et de l'humain, du cosmic et du social, du terrestre et du céleste, du macrocosme et du microcos­me.

Medieval Bishops: a Collective Portrait

Medieval bishops are regarded as a special group of people, united by common occupation and common history. The qualities of a bishop listed in the Holy Scriptures, in the Epistles of St. Paul in particular, serve as the basis for the identification of this group. Throughout the Middle Ages, the fragment of I Epistle to Timothy (I Tim 3:1-7) served as the definition of an idealized bishop. The texts of hagiographic, historiographic, and epistolary genres show how the qualities of an idealized bishop could be realized in everyday life. The analysis of literary sources allows us to outline a circle of topoi that go back to the apostolic epistles and define a plan for describing the life of a bishop as a person with a circle of responsibilities inherent in his social group. The commandments of love for God and neighbor are revealed in the bishop’s serving God and people. Serving God implies actions in the church, that is, consecration of the church’s building, the celebration of mass, and the manifestation of personal piety, that is prayer, fasting, mortification of the flesh. Serving people is manifested in helping the poor, building, in protecting the borders of the diocese’s territory. The bishop can act as a judge, adviser to the ruler, diplomat. All his actions fit into the scheme defined by St. Paul’s Epistles to Titus and Timothy.

Episcopal Power and Local Society in Medieval Europe, 900–1400 ed. by Peter Coss etal.

Reviewed by: Episcopal Power and Local Society in Medieval Europe, 900–1400 ed. by Peter Coss etal. Kyly Walker Coss, Peter, Chris Dennis, Melissa Julian-Jones, and Angelo Silvestri, eds, Episcopal Power and Local Society in Medieval Europe, 900–1400 (Medieval Church Studies, 38), Turnhout, Brepols, 2017; hardback; pp. xi, 293; 2 b/w illustrations; R.R.P. €80.00; ISBN 9782503573403. This engaging volume contributes to a burgeoning literature about medieval bishops. It stems from the first Power of the Bishop Conference, '"In the Hands of God's Servants": The Power of the Bishop in Western Europe', held at the University of Cardiff in 2013. Following the recent trend away from examining bishops on a broader stage, the volume focuses on bishops in their own dioceses. [End Page 195] As the excellent introduction asserts, we need to understand how bishops created, cultivated, and articulated their power at the local level to fully comprehend the function, position, and nature of episcopal office. Part 1, 'Constructing Episcopal Power', begins with Peter Coss's analysis of how monastic narratives affect modern accounts of Coventry's twelfth-century bishops and should be counterbalanced by probing episcopal activity throughout the entire diocese. Next comes Heidi Anett Øvergård Beistad's engaging account of Bishop Árni Þorláksson of Skálholt's success at reconstructing episcopal authority in thirteenth-century Iceland through ties to family, friends, local aristocracy, and the Norwegian king. A successful relationship with King William the Conqueror, as Chris Dennis reveals, helped the bishop of Coutances acquire the resources to restore and enrich his church in Normandy. Changing focus, Angelo Silvestri's contribution analyses how Bishop Robert Grosseteste of Lincoln's education and early years influenced his ideas about, and exercise of, episcopal power. Part 1 concludes with Melanie Brunner's noteworthy examination of how c. 1300 the bishop of Sion (in modern Switzerland) negotiated local networks and physical space to exercise his authority over the cathedral chapter. Building on Part 1, Part 2, 'Enhancing Episcopal Power', demonstrates the methods bishops used to boost their existing authority. It begins with Maria Chiara Succurro's study of how the abbey of Leno's twelfth-century charters 'highlight the scope' of the bishop of Brescia's power and how 'it conditioned local society' (p. 118) as he established his authority over the monastery. Christine Axen's study of Bishop Zoen of Avignon's mid-thirteenth-century episcopate shows how he rebuilt and increased episcopal power, using various tools to successfully navigate perceived local threats to his position. Similarly, Jelle Lisson uncovers how the bishops of Liège used different methods to expand their diocese's borders, thus enhancing their authority by bringing new regions under their control. Pieter Byttebier's chapter on Bishop Gerard of Cambrai highlights how prelates engaged with the cults of local bishop-saints to amplify respect for the episcopal office and themselves. Switching to the legal sphere, Aaron Hope concludes Part 2 by illustrating how the development of the episcopal vicar-general's office signals the increased 'power of the bishop at the local diocesan level [following] the twelfth-century legal renaissance' (p. 196). Part 3 functions as a chronological case study, focusing on the visual and written expression of episcopal power in England after the Norman Conquest and Barons' Wars. First, Charlotte Lewandowski discusses how disputes with the cathedral chapter over post-conquest episcopal building activity at Durham impacted on the boundaries of the bishop's power. Melissa Julian-Jones's excellent investigation of thirteenth-century episcopal seals and their iconography reveals that in response to national events, bishops altered visual representations of themselves to stress links with their kin, emphasizing their status and ability to manage their dioceses. Taking a literary focus, Andrew Fleming shows how stories of miracles performed by bishop-saints can be used to interpret non-elite attitudes towards episcopal power. Lastly, John Jenkins's thought-provoking study [End Page 196] of Bishop John Grandisson of Exeter demonstrates how Grandisson constructed an image of a prelate who successfully asserted his authority in the fourteenth century, concealing the truth of his failure. As shown above, this volume has a large geographical and temporal range, unlike some...

A Medieval Bishop's Palace in Milicz: 3D Reconstruction as a Method of a Research Hypotheses Presentation

As a result of the intensive development of multimedia 3D visualizations of various kinds of historically, artistically or scientifically valuable objects became standard at the beginning of the 21st century. What triggered the construction of three-dimensional visualizations was the will to protect the cultural heritage – especially historical monuments which are in ruins and exposed to further destruction – as well as the need to disseminate the information about such objects not only among the small group of specialists. Another reason of that is to verify the existing proposals of reconstructions or research hypotheses. The bishop’s palace in Milicz was probably built in the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century. It was a brick building referring to the type of layout of princely buildings known in Silesia. Erection of the building in Milicz was connected with the creation of the Church castellany in this area. Visualisation of the oldest phase of the bishop’s palace in Milicz is part of the project: Regni custodiam et clavem – Santok and clavis regni Poloniae – Milicz as an example of two border towns, implemented by the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences and financed from the funds of the National Program for the Development of Humanities for the years 2011-2017 (number 11H 11 0184 80). Virtual reconstructions were based on the analysis and interpretation of source materials, in accordance with the guidelines contained in the London Charter. The purpose of the visualization is to introduce residents of Milicz and tourists to history of the building and, in the long run, to take steps by local authorities towards preservation and revitalization of the bishop’s palace.

Aleksander z Malonne – persona mixta. Wojowniczy biskup na krańcach chrześcijańskiego świata i jego kronikarski portret

Alexander of Malonne – persona mixta : militant bishop at the edges of the Christian world and his historiographical portrait The narration of the Master Vincentius dedicated to Alexander of Malonne ( Chronica Polonorum , bk. III, chaps. 8–9), the bishop of Plock (1129–1156) is undoubtedly the most intriguing evidence addressing the commitment of the Polish medieval bishop in military action. Although such information goes well with other evidence indicating the aristocratic style of this bishop’s ministry resembling those of “courtier” Reichsbischof , Michal Tomaszek has already pointed out that motives as well as the entire construction of Vincentius’s story are the evidence of the chronicler’s reference to some early medieval literary patterns. This analysis makes it even clearer, highlighting however, that the chronicler while creating the portrait of Alexander of Malonne entered the more contemporary discourse on the admissibility limits of bishop’s military activity. The analysis shows that the starting point for the chronicler’s writing were the views of Bernard of Clairvaux stigmatizing all the possibilities of combining the attitudes appropriate for a warrior and a cleric. Vincentius, however, benefited from the “loophole” left by Clairvaux abbot and some canonists, which granted the permission to combine these two responsibilities with the restriction that actions taken by bishop would not cause the destruction of his spiritual perfection or pastoral function, and hence they would not change him into a chimera-monster. Being influenced by the idea of bishop as a persona mixta or gemina persona , the theory assuming the possibility of using two kinds of weapon (two swords) by the Church or even some views of St Bernard stated in his Liber ad Milites Templi de laude novae militiae , Vincentius advocated clearly for the possibility of getting the diocesan involved in the military sphere. The applied strategy aiming at the legitimization of Alexander’s actions, reveals Vincentius’s broad knowledge of arguments defending military prerogatives attributed to episcopacy, and says a lot about the chronicler itself, who did not have to be so ardent supporter of the Church reform as it is quite commonly believed.

Thomas of Wroclaw (1297-1378) - Medieval bishop and scholar of English origin.

Peter of Tilleberi (Tilbury), later known as bishop Thomas of Wroclaw, after completing his studies (in Bologna or in Montpellier) worked as a physician in northern Italy and probably in Spain. Later through Germany and Bohemia, he came to Wroclaw in 1336 where he joined the Order of St. Dominic. In 1352, Thomas was made an auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Wroclaw. After the episcopal consecration, Thomas stopped living in the abbey, but all the time he was well known both as a priest and physician. He is known as an author of several treatises on medical sciences. His most important work entitled Michi competit (i.e. It suits me) is composed of four parts: Regimen sanitatis (i.e. Hygiene), Aggregatum (i.e. Aggregation), Antidotarium (i.e. Medicine directory) and Practica medicinalis (i.e. Medical practices). Moreover, he is the author of other treatises including, for example, De phlebotomia et de iudiciis cruoris (i.e. On phlebotomy and blood content) and De urinis (i.e. On urine). Some Polish scientists claim that bishop Thomas of Wroclaw with his knowledge and industriousness functioned as a university faculty of medicine even though the University of Cracow had not been established yet.

Trust and Doubt: The Late Medieval Bishop and Local Knowledge

In governing their dioceses late medieval bishops faced significant epistemological challenges: how was it possible to determine the truth in disputes over local customs, patronage, the conduct of divine service and the provision of pastoral care? All such problems demanded an adjudication between competing stories about rights, history and usage, and while canon law provided a framework of principles, it did not provide the answers bishops needed. Increasingly from the thirteenth century the answers came from panels of local ‘trustworthy men’. Bishops had to trust – to have ‘faith’ or belief in – informants who were often peasants. In the church courts and before visitation tribunals lay litigants, witnesses and parish representatives also used the language of faith and belief to characterize their knowledge of events and people: they had faith in their own perceptions. The role of faith in the knowledge that bishops and lay people claimed to have of the material and social world had much in common with the faith that brought Christians closer to having knowledge of God, but there were also important differences in the operation of faith in these three contexts. This essay describes and compares the epistemologies of late medieval bishops, lay people and theologians, paying particular attention to the relationship between trust and doubt in each instance.

A review of the Church of England's management of medieval bishops' palaces

The bishops of medieval England wielded great power, and their residences were often as splendid as those built for royalty. Today the majority of bishops live in far more modest accommodation, with only a handful of medieval palaces serving as official residences. In recent years, this number has been further reduced by the Church Commissioners, who have chosen to dispose of some of the most significant examples, on the basis that they are unsuitable residences and that their upkeep is a drain on the Church of England's limited resources. This article examines the current review process for diocesan bishops' accommodation, and suggests how a balance might be struck between the protection of heritage assets and the needs of the Church.

Envisioning the Bishop: Images and the Episcopacy in the Middle Ages ed. by Sigrid Danielson, and Evan A. Gatti (review)

Reviewed by: Envisioning the Bishop: Images and the Episcopacy in the Middle Ages ed. by Sigrid Danielson, and Evan A. Gatti Sabina Flanagan Danielson, Sigrid, and Evan A. Gatti, eds, Envisioning the Bishop: Images and the Episcopacy in the Middle Ages (Medieval Church Studies, 29), Turnhout, Brepols, 2014; hardback; pp. xx, 452; 7 colour, 45 b/w illustrations, 2 b/w line art; R.R.P. €110.00; ISBN 9782503547992. Studies of the secular clergy have for too long taken a back seat to those of the regulars but a society devoted to their cause is now starting to redress the balance. This book is the second collection published as a result of panels convened at various conferences by EPISCOPUS, a very approximate name for the Society for the Study of Bishops and the Secular Clergy in the Middle Ages. The earlier collection, The Bishop Reformed (Ashgate, 2007), was reviewed in Parergon, 27.1 (2010). The present, substantial volume comprises seventeen essays prefaced by the customary historiographical and theoretical introduction. The latter relies heavily on the work of the German art historian, Hans Belting, who ‘remind[s] us that images are never isolated. They must be both invented and perceived creating complex and recurring processes around their production, dissemination, affects and aftereffects’ (p. 1), sentiments with which, apart perhaps from the idea of recurrence, few historians would be inclined to quarrel. An Afterword by Maureen C. Miller indicates some of the common themes that emerge from the collection and concludes that ‘Medieval bishops have a great deal to tell us about concerns that are quite contemporary’, citing for example ‘how virtue came to be associated with sober attire rather than splendid silks’ (p. 434). Although the editors are art historians and the volume boasts both coloured and black and white illustrations, the studies are not confined to visual images of episcopacy. Indeed, roughly half of the essays are concerned with images/ideals/conceptions of the bishop derived from non-visual sources, including Sita Steckel’s on Carolingian book dedications and Sherry Reames’s on rewriting the various vitae of St Wulfstan of Worcester. A more unusual source for episcopal norms – mnemonic verses in canon law texts – is explored by Winston Black. This is an example of an essay which sticks to a single genre of writing. Even more narrowly focused is that of Alice Chapman [End Page 230] who investigates the image of the bishop found in Bernard of Clairvaux’s De Consideratione. Others employ various degrees of intertextuality though lack of space means not all can be mentioned. Thus, Kalani Craig describes Gregory of Tours’s use of imagery from the Vulgate with reference to episcopal authority in the Histories. A number of essays combine visual and non-visual sources: Deborah M. Deliyannis maps the frequency of donor portraits of bishops in Roman churches against different redactions of the Liber Pontificalis from the sixth to the ninth centuries. Joanne M. Pierce suggests how the images of Sigebert of Minden, appearing in the liturgical books made for his personal use, interact with the written text. Kara Ann Morrow’s essay on the sculptured portals of Bourges Cathedral is particularly adept at combining visual imagery (sculpture, manuscript illustrations, architectural features) with biblical texts, saints’ lives, and writings, both liturgical and expository, relating them among other things to sacred architecture and the consecration of churches. Information on the back cover promises ‘material from Late Antiquity through the thirteenth century’ and indeed the essays are arranged chronologically rather than thematically, each century being represented at least once. An unexpected bonus beyond the stated chronological range is William J. Diebold’s fascinating essay on exhibitions featuring Ottonian bishops in modern Germany and their relationship to changes in political and cultural sensibilities. The geographical spread is less even, being largely concentrated on Rome and modern France, Germany, England, and Ireland. The volume is well produced with footnotes rather than endnotes and individual bibliographies attached to each essay. The coloured plates are grouped together at the front of the book, while the black and white illustrations are generally placed in proximity to the relevant text. However, there is a major problem on p. 162 in Dorothy...

Wpływ "Vita Martini" Sulpicjusza Sewera na Vita Niniani Aelreda z Rievaulx

The article was written to illustrate the possible impact of Vita Martini by Sulpicius Severus on Aelred of Rievaulx’s Vita Niniani. Both works are hagiogra­phies, thus were written as prime examples of faith and Christian virtues without excessive focus on biographical accuracy, as was common during the medieval period. The works were created in diverse cultural and historical settings: the for­mer portrays the life of Saint Martin of Tours, a very popular medieval bishop of Gaul, who was active during the 5th century; the hagiography was written by his disciple, Sulpicius Severus. The latter depicts the life of a missionary active in southern England, also in the 5th century, Saint Ninian of Whithorn. St. Ninian’s hagiography was, however, written seven centuries later by a well-known English abbot from Rievaulx, St. Aelred. The possible influence of Sulpicius Severus’ work on Vita Niniani by Aelred of Rievaulx can be concluded due to the similarities be­tween the two hagiographies, the popularity of Vita Martini in Cistercian circles and, simultaneously, an almost complete lack of historical information regarding St. Ninian’s life. The fact that Aelred quotes the Bede Venerable’ history note from the 8th century – which mentions that St. Martin was St. Ninian’s role model in the field of missionary care and pastoral work – as his chief resource, makes this influence is all the more probable. To carry out this article’s objective, the contents have been divided into three sections: the creation of Vita Niniani; a comparison of Bishop Ninian of Whithorn as a historical figure (based on contemporary his­torical and archeological research) with the portrait painted by Aelred (based on the Bede Venerable’ note and a piece of literature by an unknown writer); to final­ly show a comparison of Vita Niniani and Vita Martini.

Episcopal emotions: tears in the life of the medieval bishop

This article explores the significance of weeping in the lives of late medieval English bishops (c.1100−c.1400). It considers the lachrymose devotions of saintly bishops alongside tears of grief, friendship and self-pity, and asks how such displays of emotion were understood by contemporary onlookers. It is argued that a bishop's tears were key to perceptions of his masculinity, sexuality and physical body, which in turn had significant implications for his reputation both as a prelate and as a potential saint.

Reason, Conscience and Equity: Bishops as the King's Judges in Later Medieval England

AbstractIt has long been recognized that many late medieval bishops were heavily involved in secular government. Scholars have tended to characterize these activities in fairly general terms, labelling those who chose to serve the crown as ‘administrators’, ‘bureaucrats’ or ‘civil servants’. In fact, they are better described as king's judges, for a large part of what bishops did in government was dispensing justice in the king's name. The first part of this article explores the contexts of this judicial activity, showing that bishops were especially active in institutions such as parliament, chancery and the council which offered justice to the king's subjects on a discretionary basis. Discretionary justice was closely informed by the precepts of natural law, which in turn derived authority from the abstract notion of the divine will. The second half of the article suggests that the strong theological underpinning of discretionary justice meant that bishops' involvement in secular government did not stand in opposition to their spiritual vocation or their role as leaders of the church. I argue that the sweeping and rather disparaging contemporary and modern characterizations of ‘civil‐servant’ bishops as self‐serving careerists ought to be replaced by a more nuanced understanding of the rationale and motivation of those senior clergymen who involved themselves in secular governance.

La porta principalis sinistra del campamento de la Legión VII Gémina en León. De la intervención arqueológica a la restitución virtual11

<p>The archaeological interventions developed throughout 1996 deserves the discovery and conservation of the remains of the porta principalis sinistra, east gate of the Roman legionary camp of legio VII gemina, below the so-called medieval Bishop Gate (Puerta Obispo). It was built in Flavian times. At the end of the 3rd century or beginnings of the 4th A.D, the gate underwent significant changes. From 2006 we have begun the present project of virtual reconstruction based on the archaeological data of architecture, measures and constructive materials. This paper present a three-dimensional high-definition computer reconstruction of different constructive phases of the Roman gate from its origins to V century AD.</p>

Gender, the State, and Episcopal Authority: Hernando de Talavera and Richard Fox on Female Monastic Reform

This article compares the work of two late medieval bishops and the guidelines each produced for convents. In the late fifteenth century, Talavera (1430–1507), bishop of Avila in Spain, wrote a treatise addressed to the Cistercian nuns of the city that touched on the core elements of female cloistered life. In 1517, Fox (1448–1528), then bishop of Winchester in England, chose to rewrite the Benedictine Rule in a format specifically addressed to women, adapting its principles more directly to the needs of female religious. A comparison of these two texts, their authors, and the environments in which each wrote facilitates a deeper understanding of the campaigns to manage and reform female monasticism in Spain and England. But it also invites a consideration of what a transnational examination of these questions might add to our understanding of female monasticism that has, until recently, been bound by strict geographies.

The Architectural Patronage of Two Late Medieval Bishops: Edington, Wykeham and the rebuilding of Winchester Cathedral nave

This paper reassesses the transformation of Winchester Cathedral nave in the second half of the fourteenth century from the Romanesque to its present form. It argues for a more complex and earlier development than traditionally accepted, with the rebuilding of the nave itself beginning in the early 1370s rather than in 1394. After the construction of the new porches Edington had planned to rebuild the nave completely, but by the time of his death even the west end was incomplete. His successor, Wykeham, adopted a more cautious and staged remodelling, starting with the creation of a new great arcade which he began in the 1370s and resumed in 1394. Subsequently, Wykeham began to complete the rebuilding with remodelled aisles, the clerestory and the vault. The implications of this proposed earlier dating are explored, including providing a major work in the 1370s for William Wynford, one of the most important architects of the period.

Rebuilding St. Margaret's: Parish Involvement and Community Action in Late Medieval Westminster

Historians of the late medieval English parish have debated the level and quality of parishioner involvement. Some see the parish as dominated by the local elite, others argue for broader participation. These debates are hampered by the disconnect between the expectations of medieval clerics charged with regulating parish life and the surviving sources. Historians tend to equate participation and interest with financial support, because the sources that most frequently survive document these practices. Medieval bishops, on the other hand, looked to attendance and reception of the sacraments as signs of Christian commitment carried out in the context of the parish. This article looks at the parish of St. Margaret’s, Westminster and argues that broad participation was key to the parish’s successful financing of their new church, built between 1487 and 1523. The unusually detailed parish records allow us to see that the urban gentry, married and unmarried women, non-elite men, and possibly even the poor all contributed time, money, and interest to the parish’s construction project. While St. Margaret’s cannot stand in for all parishes, the experience of this parish calls into question assumptions about the limited involvement of parishioners in the late Middle Ages.