Wilhelm of Sens

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wilhelm von Sens, roof figure at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

William of Sens († August 11, 1180 ) was a French builder of the 12th century, who was best known for his work on Canterbury Cathedral .

Life

Nothing is known about his place of origin and his date of birth. Maybe he was from Sens . Since about 1136 he belonged to the local building works . He worked as a stonemason and foreman on various buildings in the French region. In 1174 he was brought to Canterbury to build the cathedral there. He rebuilt the choir of the church, introducing the first English phase of the Gothic, the Early English . Under the supervision of Wilhelm von Sens, the monk Gervasius wrote one of the few surviving reports on the construction of Gothic cathedrals, the so-called "Gervasius Report" - besides Abbot Suger . In 1178 Wilhelm von Sens fell from scaffolding and sustained serious injuries. He could only supervise the progress of the work from his sick bed. He returned to France around 1179 and presumably to Sens, where he died a short time later.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Wilhelm of Sens
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Gothic builder
DATE OF BIRTH 12th Century
DATE OF DEATH August 11, 1180