The Building of the Minster

What it is

This is a magazine article titled "Legends of Charlemagne's City, No. II: The Building of the Minster," published in Once a Week in the 1860s. It is about the minster, or cathedral, at Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen). The text says that Charlemagne gave the church greater care than any other of his buildings. It describes marble and pillars brought from Rome and Ravenna, cut stone from Verdun, and materials taken from quarries around the region. It names Eginhard, his secretary, as overseeing the work, and says the abbot Ausigis of Fontanelle drew up a plan. It also notes that artists and workmen were invited from Italy, England and other countries.

Why it matters

This article is a later account, written long after Charlemagne's time, and it mixes history with legend, as its title suggests. It shows how Victorian readers were interested in Charlemagne and his building projects. It also points to the people who worked with him, such as Eginhard and the many craftsmen who built the church.

Look closer

• Which details in the article come from earlier sources, and which seem to be the author's own storytelling?
• Why might a nineteenth-century magazine be interested in a medieval ruler's building work?
• What does the article leave out about the workers, costs or daily life at the building site?