Archéologie Médiévale (Jul 2020)

Le choix des matériaux de couverture : l’exemple des édifices religieux normands du xiie au xviiie siècle

  • Adrien Dubois,
  • Jean-Baptiste Vincent

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4000/archeomed.25838

Abstract

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In 1965, Michel de Boüard suggested, in an innovative reflection on the “roofing materials used in Normandy in the Middle Ages”, to view the Dives valley as a sort of natural border to the west of which slate would have been preferred by the wealthiest builders whereas, for geological reasons, the east would have to be long satisfied by tile. However, he pointed out the unusualness of some composite roofs and, in some cases, the lack of correlation between the elite character of a building and its roofing method. Drawing on some more recent studies, and more particularly for religious establishments, we try here to show the plurality of criteria to be taken into account in order to understand the choices made.