Medieval Burial Practices and the Concept of Purgatory

The following essay and accompanying diagram derive from the research and scholarship of Caroline Bruzelius.

The design and construction of medieval churches was not just based on the rites of the living, but also the medieval burial practices of the dead. It reflects a complex intertwining of theological beliefs, shifting religious practices, and development in urban and church design. I will list these out below.

1. The concept of Purgatory as a space between Heaven and Hell to await one’s fate in the afterlife and pay penitence for one’s worldly sins developed gradually but achieved its final form by the 12^th century. People had great fear of the punishments that awaited them in Purgatory. 
2. The emergence of the Mendicant orders coincided with the concept of Purgatory; this included the Franciscan and Dominican orders. The Franciscans were founded by St. Francis, who came from a wealthy family in Assisi and sold all his worldly possessions to succor those in need (the poor, the sick, etc.) in urban centers. He gained a huge following, supposedly receiving the stigmata, and was made a saint within a few years of his death. His movement only grew after his death. The Dominicans were founded by St. Dominic, who created a movement to preach to the lay public in urban centers to prevent them from converting to heretical movements. It’s a misconception that the Protestant Reformation was the first major movement to split from the Church in the 16^th century; there were several major instances throughout the Middle Ages. The Franciscans and Dominicans both became urban-based orders (unlike the traditional monastic orders like the Benedictines) who combined a public-facing mission of preaching and service of the poor with a penitential vow of poverty, getting by on charitable donations. 
3. There emerged in this period as well an urban bourgeoisie with greater disposable income thanks to stronger economies. This stratum emerged in urban centers across Western Europe.

A Deep fear of Purgatory

From the end of the 12^th century through the 13^th and early 14^th centuries, there was a growing population of people who were deeply fearful of Purgatory awaiting them after death and who also had money to spend. Urban orders were happy to receive donations in exchange for spiritual interventions on donors’ behalf. Donors could also donate to secure burial spaces in these churches. The closer to the altar one found oneself, the better one’s prospects in Purgatory because the altar was the holiest space in the church. These spots also happened to cost more. Those with even greater wealth could build private chapels in the side aisles or choir with private altars and altarpieces. The truly wealthy built their own, separate chapels attached to their homes or church and had them lavishly decorated. It was believed that the more one invested in their burial sites (not just the purchase of the space), the better. 

And so, to sum up, lay people petrified by the idea of Purgatory were willing to pay for the comfort and reassurance of better penitential grace. Mendicant orders were more than willing to accept compensation for spiritual intervention. This enabled the Mendicant orders to spread like wildfire through Western Europe. They built churches and convents accordingly. The penitent laity were happy to pay what was needed and appropriate salvation; their burial sites corresponded with the monetary investments.