The Bishop of Chutreaux

The Bishop of Chutreaux is not named, but under his guidance the townspeople decide to build a new and glorious cathedral. Under the Bishop's guidance, the clergymen of the town hire William of Planz to design the new structure. The Bishop dies in 1281, twenty-nine years after construction begins. He is interred in a new tomb within the old Romanesque crypt. He is succeeded by Roland of Clermont. The Bishop is illustrated on page 6; his tomb is illustrated on page 51. In the history of the cathedral, the unnamed Bishop is the most significant individual—he oversees the planning and inception, arranges for the initial funding, selects the architect, approves the design, and rallies public support. He even gives up a portion of his personal estate to clear the way for the construction. Although he survives for only about one-third of the entire project's timeline, the...