A detailed and lively account of the great European cathedrals of the 11th to the 16th centuries, this illustrated volume tells how those at Chartres, Strasbourg, Milan and elsewhere came to be built. Francois Icher explains how bishops and wealthy patrons funded these projects and chose the architects and master builders, and how teams of craftsmen were assembled and brought to the site. Working conditions, daily schedules, contracts, the apprentice system and specific jobs performed by stone-cutters, masons, sculptors, roofers and makers of stained glass are all described and set in historical and economic context.