Le salut par les œuvres : les bienfaiteurs laïcs de l’Aumône Notre-Dame de Chartres à la fin du Moyen Âge

Late medieval lay elites in Chartres engaged in diverse charitable acts toward the Aumône Notre-Dame, the city's most significant hospital, to secure their spiritual salvation. These initiatives ranged from one-time monetary donations by bourgeois individuals to letters of protection issued by sovereigns. The study reveals that generosity was a key strategy for accessing salvation, with hospital communities and the poor serving as intermediaries through foundations like masses. This research sheds light on the complex interplay between charitable practices, religious beliefs, and social hierarchy in medieval Europe.

Niveau, S. (2016). Le salut par les œuvres : les bienfaiteurs laïcs de l’Aumône Notre-Dame de Chartres à la fin du Moyen Âge. Histoire, Économie & Société, 35e année(3), 12–38. https://doi.org/10.3917/hes.163.0012