Chillon Castle is just one of the magnificent structures shaped by the hands of the visionary medieval architect James of St. George. — *Chillon* *Castle* is just one of the magnificent structures shaped by the hands of the visionary medieval architect James of St. George. Wikimedia

A visionary of medieval architecture: James of St. George

Master James of St. George (c. 1230-1309) was a prolific mason and military architect who lived during the High Middle Ages. Responsible in part for the construction and refortification of imposing castles across what is now Switzerland, France, Italy, Wales, and Scotland, James of St. George is undoubtedly the greatest mason in Swiss history.

James Blake Wiener

James Blake Wiener is a world historian, Co-Founder of World History Encyclopedia, writer, and PR specialist, who has taught as a professor in Europe and North America.

Website: worldhistory.org

The early years of Master James of St. George are shrouded in mystery and subject to academic speculation. He was likely born c. 1230–1235 in Saint-Prex, Switzerland, although other historians suggest that he was born in Saint-Georges d'Espéranche, France. There is considerable conjecture among historians that James’ father, a talented mason called “Master John” in medieval records, was perhaps the same individual as John Cotereel – an architect of Norman origin, who oversaw the construction of Lausanne Cathedral and other structures in the Romandy. However, this is not definitively proven. Moreover, tangible details concerning the identities of James’ wife, Ambrosia, and his sons, Giles and Tassin, are obscured by the mists of time. What is certain is that James first worked alongside his father, who was an architect and mason in the service of Counts Peter II of Savoy (r. 1263–1268) and Philip I of Savoy (r. 1268–1285). Later, it is believed that James worked with a prominent Gascon military engineer by the name of Jean Mésot.

In front of Chillon Castle, Peter II receives a Bernese envoy — In front of *Chillon Castle*, Peter II receives a Bernese envoy. In 1255, the count concluded the first protection treaty with the city of Bern. Illustration from the *Spiezer Chronik* (1485) by Diebold Schilling. Wikimedia

From Savoy to Wales

From the late-1250s to the mid-1270s, one finds James or “Magistro Jacobo” in various records and notes, attesting to his active engagement in a multitude of large-scale architectural projects across Savoy and Dauphiné. Among the highlights of James’ early endeavors are the castles of Yverdon, Chillon, Romont, La Bâtiaz, the old walls of Saillon, the palatial of Saint-Georges d’Espéranche located outside Lyon, France, and the Châtel-Argent Fortress in Italy’s Valle d’Aosta.

Among the highlights of James’ early endeavors are the Swiss castles ... of Yverdon (VD) ... — **Among the highlights of James’ early endeavors are the Swiss castles of Yverdon (VD) ...** Wikimedia
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**... Chillon (VD) ...** Wikimedia
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**.. Romont (FR) ...** Wikimedia
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**... the old walls of Saillon (VS) ...** Wikimedia
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... as well as La Bâtiaz Castle in Martigny (VS). — **... as well as *La Bâtiaz* Castle in Martigny (VS).** Wikimedia
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It is theorized that James played some role in the reconstruction of the castles at Grandson (VD) and Lucens (VD) between 1275–1278, and perhaps those of the castles of Montmélian, Melphe, and Côte-Saint-André in France. James’ life would change irrevocably thanks to an opportune moment in diplomatic history. In 1273, Edward I of England (r. 1272–1307) passed through Savoy as he returned home from the Crusades. Edward I’s maternal grandmother, Beatrice of Savoy, was the elder sister of Philip I, and so warm relations existed between England and Savoy. Furthermore, Edward I was the feudal overlord to several domains located near Savoyard-held alpine passes. For this reason, Edward I arranged a special ceremony at the new castle of Saint-Georges d'Espéranche, in which his great-uncle, Philip I, could pledge him homage.

**King Edward I of England and queen consort Eleanor of Castile, Lincoln Cathedral.** Wikimedia

Impressed with the castle’s grandeur and the quality of its design, Edward I took note of James’ prodigious talent. Edward I invited James to work for him in Wales, at some point between 1273–1278, which James accepted by the spring of 1278. Historians know that his wife, Ambrosia, accompanied him to Wales from Savoy, but it appears that at least one of his sons stayed behind in the Romandy.

Building castles and cultural bridges

Many Savoyards, like James, found lucrative employment in England during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries; it is worth noting that Edward I’s most-distinguished courtiers and advisors were from Savoy. Otto de Grandson (c. 1238–1328) was the king’s best friend and justiciar of North Wales during the 1280s, while Edward I’s cousin, the future Count Amadeus I of Savoy (r. 1285–1323), served Edward as a commander in his Welsh campaigns (1278–1283). It is not surprising then that Edward I found immediate use for James’ organizational and technical expertise in the construction of a series of monumental castles, which would not only safeguard English power in the subsequent conquest and colonization of Wales, but additionally in the projection of royal authority and military might.

“…In case you should wonder where so much money could go in a week, we would have you know that we have needed – 400 masons, both cutters and layers, together with 2,000 less-skilled workmen, 100 carts, 60 wagons and 30 boats, bringing stone and sea coal; 200 quarrymen; 30 smiths; and carpenters for putting in the joists and floorboards and other necessary jobs. All this takes no account of the garrison mentioned above, nor of the purchase of material, of which there will have to be a great quantity... The men's pay has been and still is very much in arrears, and we are having the greatest difficulty in keeping them because they simply have nothing to live on…”

– James of St. George justifying the enormous expenditures on the construction of Beaumaris Castle in the 1290s in a letter to Edward I’s Treasurer and Barons of the Exchequer.

Between c. 1278-1295, James oversaw the construction of the castles of Aberystwyth, Beaumaris, Builth, Caernarfon, Conwy, Denbigh, Flint, Harlech, and Rhuddlan in Wales. Ample written evidence reveals that James recruited and relied upon fellow Savoyards with extensive mason experience, and that he collaborated with the two leading English architects of his day – Richard “the Engineer” of Chester (c. 1265–c. 1315) and Walter of Hereford (fl. 1277–d. 1309).

**Caernarfon Castle** Wikimedia
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**Beaumaris Castle** Wikimedia
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**Harlech Castle** Wikimedia
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**Rhuddlan Castle** Wikimedia
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**Conwy Castle** Wikimedia
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James required a veritable army of skilled craftsmen, laborers, and transporters on a regular basis. The dearth of available manpower was a constant issue as were delays in supply chains and the threat of open rebellion by the Welsh. Mediation between household knights, administrators, accountants, and laborers required ample time and patience, as did the language barriers between Savoyard, Welsh, and English masons. James’ work was daunting, expensive, and time-consuming. Nonetheless, the end result of his hard labor pleased Edward I, who compensated James with a high salary. In English documents, James’ elevation in stature is evident: Edward I designated him the “Master of the King’s Works in Wales” in the 1280s, and James became the Constable of Harlech Castle by 1290.

A legacy in stone: James of St. George’s final projects

While it is probable that James imported architectural elements – features like circular-master towers, pinnacled merlons, garderobes, latrine shafts, and windows – from Savoy to Wales, recent scholarship has demonstrated that Edward I also played a key role in the construction of the Welsh castles. This is understandable given their tremendous military and political importance. It was therefore Edward I who held the final word with regard to castle design and layout. The well-traveled monarch had seen innumerable castles, palaces, and forts in much of Europe and the Middle East. As a result, historians can detect a strong Anglo-Savoyard influence, as well as supplemental architectural influences from France, the Levant, and Byzantium, in the Welsh castles’ walls, concentric layouts, and twin-towered gatehouses. Greatly concerned with hygiene, Edward I even ordered James to ensure an extra number of latrines interspersed throughout his Welsh castles.

**Statue of Master James of St. George at Beaumaris Castle** Wikimedia

James continued to work well into old age as his Edward I’s geopolitical calculus transferred from Wales to France and Scotland, in the 1290s, as a direct consequence of the Gascon campaigns (1294–1303) and the First War of Scottish Independence (1296–1328). In Scotland, James overhauled the defenses of Linlithgow Castle in the early 1300s, and he reinforced the defenses of Stirling Castle and probably those of Kildrummy Castle soon thereafter. On the Continent, James also worked on the castles of Villandraut and Roquetaillade in Gascony, at the request of Edward I’s political ally, Pope Clement V, in the first decade of the 1300s. The last trace historians have of James’ employment is a payment of £20.00 on September 4, 1306 (This is the equivalent to £20,237.60 today when adjusted to inflation.) James died in either Wales or Scotland by 1309.

**James of St. George's legacy also includes ... the Roquetaillade Castle in France ...** Wikimedia
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**... the Châtel-Argent Fortress in Italy’s Valle d'Aosta ....** Wikimedia
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**... as well as Stirling Castle in Scotland.**
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Architectural historians summarize James’ brilliance in his ability to realize his patrons’ architectural preferences and balance them with his broad knowledge of military engineering. This approach underscores his exceptional capacities as a tenacious project organizer. James’ career, moreover, demonstrates a remarkable versatility and dexterity. Responsible in large part for the oversight and organization of what are arguably the most-important medieval military structures in Great Britain, in addition to celebrated edifices in Switzerland, James reveals himself to be a curious blend of civil servant, cultural ambassador, architect, and master mason. James’ interesting life likewise highlights the inestimable influence he and other Savoyards in the service of Edward I had in shaping medieval England’s military and political culture. It is for these reasons that many count him among the greatest architects and masons of the Middle Ages, and why his work merits increased acknowledgement in Switzerland.

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