medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
From: John Briggs <[log in to unmask]>
> I should have added that they [triforia] played an important role during the
construction phase. You need proper access to the upper levels while building
the clerestory and vaults.
the "standard work" on the subject remains, i believe, John Fitchen's "The
construction of Gothic cathedrals : a study of medieval vault erection",
(Oxford U.P., 1967, c1961)
with many helpful reconstruction drawings of how scaffolding and suchlike
structures were done (or *might* have been done).
>Until someone thought of putting a walkway at clerestory level, you needed to
use the triforium to sling a ladder to access the the clerestory windows for
glazing (and re-glazing).
?
doing serious glazing work (to say nothing of serious building work) required
structures much more substantial than mere ladders.
i believe that Fitchen imaginatively reconstructs the erection of various
forms of scaffolding, using the triforium as a "base".
it was definitely a handy thing to have, was a triforium, but hardly an
essential one, as the myrid of buildings built without one attest.
also, the "walkway at clerestory level" was much more a result of other
factors (eg., regional "styles") than it was, as you seem to be implying
("Until..."), a matter of chronological "progress".
some anglo norman buildings have, i believe, passages in the wall at the
clerestory level, while very, very few "high gothic" ones do, the latter being
a full century later.
c
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