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Plans for Guédelon draw on a typical 13th-century chateau and feature six towers, one at each corner and two for the drawbridge. To learn more about this project, visit www.guedelon.com.
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European castles and cathedrals speak of an era when craftsmanship combined with artistry to spectacular ends. Millions still tour these places each year to glimpse a way of living - and of building - that's long gone.
Until now. In France's Burgundy region, approximately 50 full-time craftspeople and hundreds of volunteers are using 13th-century techniques, materials and rules to build Guédelon, a typical medieval chateau-fort. Workers laid Guédelon’s first rock in 1997, and completion is expected in 2025. Estimated costs for the project, the inspiration of owner Michel Guyot, are $9 million to $11 million.
A French architect based the plans for the structure on a typical 13th-century chateau from the reign of Philippe Auguste. It's built around six towers, one for each corner and two for the drawbridge, with an emphasis on defense against intruders. Ten-foot-thick bluffs around the base act as foundations for the chateau walls.
Day-to-day operations draw from medieval builders' diaries recounting life on a construction site during that period. Modern concessions include the use of goggles and protective footwear, but a team of scientists, archaeologists and historians verifies that actual construction stays true to the period.
In an interview in the Chicago Tribune, project manager Florian Renucci said, "In the 13th century, construction was an oral science. What is unique about this project is that for the first time we can demonstrate every stage of building a medieval chateau-fort with photographs and documents as evidence."