Note 437 — Chapter XXI · THE SPANISH ARCHITECTS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
Reading edition
E.g. at San Cristóbal de Ibeas—
Eia M. C. LXX. Fuit hoc opus fundatum Martino Abbate regente Petrus Christophorus Magister hujus operis fuit.
Or another at Ciudad Rodrigo—
Aqui yace Benito Sanchez, Maestro que fue de esta obra, e Dios le perdone. Amen.
So too the inscription given at p. 234 of the architect of Toledo. The same term was used extensively at the same time over the greater part of Europe.
In France we have these among others:—“Ci git Robert de Couey, Maitre de Notre Dame et de Saint Nicaise, qui trépassa l’an 1311.” In A.D. 1251, at Rouen, “Walter de St. Hilaire, Cementarius, magister operis,” is mentioned; and in A.D. 1440, in the same city, we have this inscription: “Ci git M. Alexandre de Berneval, Maistre des Œuvres de Massonerie au Baillage de Rouen et de cette église.” In Italy the same term was commonly used, as, e.g., in the Baptistery at Pisa, which has the inscription, “Deotisalvi magister hujus operis;” and again in the church at Mensano near Siena, which has “Opus quod videtis Bonusamicus magister fecit.” But in England, according to Mr. Wyatt Papworth, who has devoted much pains to the elucidation of the subject, the term “Master of the works” appears to be very seldom employed, and sometimes of the officer called the “operarius” in Spain, rather than of the architect.