Since 1997, a very interesting project has been underway in the forests of French Burgundy. A full-scale Guédelon castle is being built there, erected exclusively using techniques used in the 13th century. The structure is growing in a former sandstone mine and the whole project is a unique archaeological experiment. By the way, it is also a great educational spectacle visited by hundreds of thousands of people every year. The idea for the fortress was born after the successful reconstruction of the Château Saint Fargeau. Michel Guyot, together with Marilyn Martin and a team of researchers, designed the structure to be built from scratch, stone by stone. This allowed them to study the craftsmanship and realities of medieval building sites in detail.
The Château de Guédelon – an ideal site and project
The choice of location in a former quarry was no accident. This location provided the builders with constant access to key raw materials: sandstone, wood and water. This was the basis for architect Jacques Moulin’s design of a fortress with six towers, a donjon and walls around 150 metres in circumference. From the outset, it was assumed that construction would take around 25 years. The plan of the Château Guédelon follows the assumptions of French architecture from the first half of the 13th century and is based on examples of royal fortresses found in the Burgundy region. This approach makes each element of the construction understandable in the context of the period, and the works can be analysed from a historical perspective.
The origins of the work on the French castle
Initially, the foundations and the first ancillary buildings were built on the cast and levelled ground. Craftsmen began quarrying and working the stone using tools modelled on those of the Middle Ages. Already in the following season, the first sections of the walls were erected. In the first phase of the project, the priority was to recreate the facilities known from the old construction sites, so workshops and workplaces for the various groups of craftsmen were also created. This type of preparation allowed the production of mortar, construction timber and tools with parameters corresponding to the historical accounts to begin.
Development of ‘medieval’ construction
As work progressed, other elements of the castle were built. The fixed bridge that connected the Château Guédelon to the area around the fortress was completed in 2002. Over the years, the two towers received staircases and vaults, and later a residential building was built, along with an extended roof truss. The team also handcrafted transport equipment, including a turnstile powered by a large wooden cage, and a water mill inspired by archaeological finds from the French Jura region. In the following seasons, the focus was on integrating the individual parts of the castle into a whole and preparing the interiors for further work. All stages were carried out according to a timetable that took into account the real constraints imposed by the weather, availability of materials and number of workmen.
The Château de Guédelon and its fictitious founder
In order to be as faithful to history as possible, the creators adopted the narrative of the knight Guilbert Courtenay, who was said to have founded and begun the construction of the castle in the 13th century. The invented story here serves as an architectural and cultural model for the entire establishment. The fictional founder also determines the functions of the various rooms and how life in the fortress is organised. In this way, the craftsmen create the furnishings in accordance with the social realities of the era. The narrative also influences the choice of individual decorations and decisions regarding the representative layers of the building, such as the chapel, the chambers or the great hall.
Craftsmanship and research
More than a dozen teams of various craftsmen, from stonemasons to blacksmiths and tile makers, work continuously on the square. All the work is coordinated by master builder Florian Renucci and consulted by a research council made up of specialists in medieval architecture and archaeology. The craftsmen work in a seasonal cycle, which allows them to recreate the rhythm of the old building sites. Many gain experience without prior practice, learning working techniques through direct observation and practice. This organised structure makes it possible to analyse the effectiveness of traditional methods and document them through comparative studies.
Colours in the Middle Ages
Paintings inspired by decorations from the 12th and 13th centuries are being created in the castle’s residential building. The mineral pigments used reflect the intense colours of the former residences. The decorations are placed only where they have a utilitarian function. The process of creating the paintings documents every stage of the work, from the preparation of the plaster to the application of successive layers of pigment. The project also takes into account the testing of the durability of the pigments and their resistance to weathering. As a result, the decorations provide excellent material for the study of preserved frescoes in historic buildings.
Château Guédelon – research and education
The Guédelon is a unique laboratory for experimental archaeology. It makes it possible to measure the time and effort involved in the various stages of construction and to test techniques that cannot be reproduced from the sources alone. The project also has an important educational function, offering lessons for schoolchildren and workshops for visitors. Collaboration between craftsmen and scientists leads to publications and conferences on construction and materials science. Additional experiments are also taking place on site, including the cultivation of useful plants and the production of dyes. The whole forms an open research centre that is constantly expanding the range of observations made.
Significance of the site for the region
The Château Guédelon has quickly become one of Burgundy’s biggest attractions. Visitor numbers have grown from 80,000 in the first year of construction to more than 300,000 a year. The project has generated numerous jobs and attracted international media attention. Investment accompanying the project also includes the development of tourist and catering infrastructure. Guédelon has also helped to raise the region’s profile among foreign tourists. The growing interest has influenced the emergence of further reconstructive initiatives inspired by a similar working model.
Source: guedelon.fr
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