Montlevon (Aisne, France) - Saint-Martin
- Disclaimer
The dating found here is based on the work of John James, and is meant on this site to serve as a starting point. James' dating is derived from a system that uses his interpretation of the development of capitals over time as the basis for chronology, among other factors. His goal is to refine the dating to within years rather than decades. I have not fully embraced James' methodology, and will be developing this page from its current state to one which is admittedly more conservative. The relative expenditure values found in the Timeline are also based on James' work, and I believe these to be reasonably reliable. They are intended only to give a sense of the amount of work involved in each decade.
I have added the idea of the "project" as a way of separating work in buildings. In my mind, a "project" is a discrete section of work in a building that resulted from the one-time acquisition of funding. "Projects" are generally separated by at least a decade where no work was being done. It is my view that it would have been unwise to start a "project" that could not be finished and protected from the elements, and as such a "project" usually involved a wing or multiple wings of a building, from floor to roof. Rural churches, which could only secure small amounts of funding at irregular intervals, often were the result of many small projects, while the great churches, which benefitted from relatively consistent funding, may have involved only a few large projects.
I have added the idea of the "project" as a way of separating work in buildings. In my mind, a "project" is a discrete section of work in a building that resulted from the one-time acquisition of funding. "Projects" are generally separated by at least a decade where no work was being done. It is my view that it would have been unwise to start a "project" that could not be finished and protected from the elements, and as such a "project" usually involved a wing or multiple wings of a building, from floor to roof. Rural churches, which could only secure small amounts of funding at irregular intervals, often were the result of many small projects, while the great churches, which benefitted from relatively consistent funding, may have involved only a few large projects.
- Timeline with Relative Expenditure (if available, in building units)
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- Project A - 1080s - Phase 1 - chapels
Three eastern chapels laid out and walls begun, probably in at least 5 campaigns; the north just an apsidiole.
- Project A - 1080s - Phase 2 - crossing
Crossing piers, arch lower than nave aisles, with large spans supporting domical and barrel vaults over big capitals at clerestory level.
- Project A - 1080s - Phase 3 - south
Transept to south chapel with pilasters on WS pier and wall.
- Project A - 1080s - Phase 4 - nave (a)
Work continues into the nave aisles with the piers and arches at a higher level, as far as the west wall
- Project A - 1080s - Phase 5 - tower I
Tower I
- Project A - 1090s - Phase 6 - tower II
Tower II
- Project B - 1120s - Phase 7 - tower III
Tower III
- Project B - 1130s - Phase 8 - nave (c)
Nave clerestory with tall windows.
- Project C - Later - Phase 9 -
Aisle walls undatable, wall buttressing added, strengthening of tower, vaults to nave and aisles and the north apsidiole seems to have remained partly completed, or only partly integrated into aisle.