How did stonemasons claim their work in the Middle Ages?

Some curious geometric marks carved into the stones are distributed along the two visible facades of the Santa Llúcia chapel, today integrated into the Barcelona cathedral.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
28 May 2022 Saturday 22:43
11 Reads
How did stonemasons claim their work in the Middle Ages?

Some curious geometric marks carved into the stones are distributed along the two visible facades of the Santa Llúcia chapel, today integrated into the Barcelona cathedral. They can be seen on the walls of the gate and the side of Calle del Bisbe. These are the signatures of the stonemasons who gave the precise shape to the stones used for construction, a highly valued trade in the Middle Ages and which, centuries later, inspired some of the practices of modern masonry.

These brands had a double objective. In the first place, the craftsman vindicated his work, which required great skill and knowledge of geometry. The master builder, what we would know today as an architect, asked for stones with a certain size and shape, and the stonecutter made them come true. The second objective of the brand was more practical, since it was used to pay for the work of each of the workers.

Among the marks of Santa Llúcia, a kind of angled eight stands out, as well as various cross-shaped ones and even one that looks like a four. The presence of these geometric symbols is not, of course, exclusive to Santa Llúcia, but it is a custom extended throughout Europe by these medieval masons. They are found, above all, in Gothic cathedrals.

The Santa Llúcia chapel was built between 1257 and 1268. Its promoter was Bishop Arnau de Gurb, who occupies one of the tombs inside the small Romanesque temple. Initially, it was conceived as a chapel of the episcopal palace and was separated from the cathedral. It was a building facing the four winds. The growth of seo ended up integrating it. The apse was removed in favor of the cloister, from which there is direct access to the chapel. In addition to the main door, facing the Casa de l'Ardiaca, there used to be another entrance on Carrer del Bisbe that was walled up, although it is still possible to see the challenges of the upper arch.