Guédelon Castle
Encyclopedia
Guédelon Castle is a medieval construction project located in Treigny
, France
. The object of the project is to build a castle using only the techniques and materials used in the Middle Ages
. When completed in the 2020s, it should be an authentic recreation of a 13th century medieval castle
.
In order to fully investigate the technology required in the past, the project is using only period construction techniques, tools, and costumes. Materials, including wood and stone, are all obtained locally. Jacques Moulin is the chief architect for the project. He designed the castle according to the architectural model developed during the 12th and 13th centuries by Philip II of France
.
Construction started in 1997 under Michel Guyot, owner of the nearby Saint-Fargeau
castle. The site was chosen according to the availability of construction materials: an abandoned stone quarry
, in a large forest, with a pond
close by.
The project has created 55 jobs and is now a tourist destination, with more than 300 000 visits each year.
employs a hands-on approach of testing methods to rediscover forgotten techniques. It was initiated when academics decided to experiment and learn by themselves the old skills, rather than relying merely on models, hypotheses, and theories. Another example of this approach is the attempts by archaeologists to create flint tools.
When ethnographic research is not possible, only archaeological materials and old manuscripts can help. But this creates an interpretation bias. To understand how to use a tool, how to create an object, an actual reproduction becomes necessary. This leads to the creation of swords, siege engines, Roman fortification, etc. The purpose is not only to learn how to fabricate the object, but also to learn how to use it.
For the Middle Ages, this approach was limited to isolated objects, specific functions, and limited sequences. The intent of Guédelon castle is to generate a completely new experiment: the analysis of construction in action, as a whole project.
Treigny
Treigny is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-References:*...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The object of the project is to build a castle using only the techniques and materials used in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. When completed in the 2020s, it should be an authentic recreation of a 13th century medieval castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
.
In order to fully investigate the technology required in the past, the project is using only period construction techniques, tools, and costumes. Materials, including wood and stone, are all obtained locally. Jacques Moulin is the chief architect for the project. He designed the castle according to the architectural model developed during the 12th and 13th centuries by Philip II of France
Philip II of France
Philip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne...
.
Construction started in 1997 under Michel Guyot, owner of the nearby Saint-Fargeau
Saint-Fargeau
Saint-Fargeau is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-Personalities:*In the early years of the reign of Louis XIV, the château was the home to his exiled cousin, the wealthy Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans. She lived in the château of the town, giving the building its...
castle. The site was chosen according to the availability of construction materials: an abandoned stone quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
, in a large forest, with a pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
close by.
The project has created 55 jobs and is now a tourist destination, with more than 300 000 visits each year.
Concept
The original idea of building from scratch a 13th century-style castle came to Michel Guyot while restoring his Saint-Fargeau property. It matured to become a complex project focusing on several aspects:- Tourism: The construction site can be visited. Guided tours are organised and a medieval restaurant welcomes visitors. The site is now a major touristic destination, being the most visited tourist attraction in Yonne, with more than 300,000 visitors in 2010.
- Education: The project is open and adapted to groups and school excursions. One can learn about work conditions in the middle ages and the different professions of the time.
- Science and knowledge: The project team uses and tests scientists' and historians' knowledge of medieval construction techniques.
- Human: In this rural and isolated area, the project created 45 jobs and attracted 200 volunteers.
- Social: The site employs youths facing difficulties, helping them through on-the-job professional training. For example, some of them obtained stonemasonryStonemasonryThe craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...
certifications. - Memorial: The project can be seen as a major memorial site which offers the dream of bridging the epistemological gap between the present and the medieval past.
Intent
Experimental archaeologyExperimental archaeology
Experimental archaeology employs a number of different methods, techniques, analyses, and approaches in order to generate and test hypotheses, based upon archaeological source material, like ancient structures or artifacts. It should not be confused with primitive technology which is not concerned...
employs a hands-on approach of testing methods to rediscover forgotten techniques. It was initiated when academics decided to experiment and learn by themselves the old skills, rather than relying merely on models, hypotheses, and theories. Another example of this approach is the attempts by archaeologists to create flint tools.
When ethnographic research is not possible, only archaeological materials and old manuscripts can help. But this creates an interpretation bias. To understand how to use a tool, how to create an object, an actual reproduction becomes necessary. This leads to the creation of swords, siege engines, Roman fortification, etc. The purpose is not only to learn how to fabricate the object, but also to learn how to use it.
For the Middle Ages, this approach was limited to isolated objects, specific functions, and limited sequences. The intent of Guédelon castle is to generate a completely new experiment: the analysis of construction in action, as a whole project.