Des cathédrales sans sépulture canoniale (1200–1500) : le cas de Chartres et de quelques autres

A groundbreaking study challenges the long-held assumption that chanoines were necessarily interred within their cathedrals, particularly during the late Middle Ages. Focusing on Chartres Cathedral and other French sites, the research reveals that no chanoine or bishop from Chartres was buried within its walls between 1200 and 1500, contrary to common belief. Instead, their remains were dispersed across the city and its outskirts. This practice was justified by an 'interdit'—a religious prohibition on burials within the cathedral's precincts due to its pre-Incarnation origins, which demanded the preservation of its soil's virginity. The study further uncovers that this phenomenon was not unique to Chartres but extended to other cathedrals like Saint-Jean de Besançon and possibly Le Puy, indicating a broader cultural shift in burial practices during this period. By analyzing numerous chanoine testaments and historical records, the research redefines our understanding of medieval ecclesiastical traditions.

Jourd’heuil, J.-V. (2019). Des cathédrales sans sépulture canoniale (1200–1500) : le cas de Chartres et de quelques autres. Le Moyen Age, Tome CXXIV(3), 581–614. https://doi.org/10.3917/rma.243.0581