| Guédelon Castle | |
|---|---|
| Château de Guédelon | |
| Near Treigny, Yonne, Burgundy, France | |
Guédelon castle in July 2009 |
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Guédelon Castle in France
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| Type | Castle |
| Coordinates | |
| Built | 1997-2022? |
| Built by | Jacques Moulin (architect) |
| Construction materials |
Medieval materials: wood, stone, lime,... |
| Current condition |
In construction |
| Current owner |
Michel Guyot (first owner) |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
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.
Contents |
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:
Experimental archaeology 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.