Probably the most exceptional vacationer points of interest in France is the development of Château de Guédelon. It’s a “new construct” of a Thirteenth-century citadel utilizing solely the supplies and methods from the center ages. Let that sink in.
Not a reconstruction. Not a restoration. It’s such as you’re again within the center ages. No electrical instruments. No bulldozers. No packing containers of nails had been bought from a ironmongery store. As an alternative, there are blacksmiths, stonemasons, tile makers, and twine makers, and all the pieces is created from scratch utilizing medieval methods.
The story behind its creation and the way they’re really setting up the citadel in the identical methods they did 800 years in the past is unbelievable. It’s a work in progress that started roughly 25 years in the past. I’ve wished to go to Guédelon for years and eventually did in Could 2022—-in the nick of time because the completion date is anticipated to be 2023.
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A. The Château de Guédelon: Medieval Fortress In The Making
1. Visionary And Creator Michel Guyot
Michel Guyot is a French entrepreneur who has owned and restored various castles in France together with Château de Saint-Fargeau. After efficiently restoring it, Guyot had the concept to assemble a brand new citadel, positioned not removed from Saint-Fargeau utilizing (very) previous strategies. Co-founder, Maryline Martin grew to become common supervisor and website supervisor and Guédelon was born in 1997.
2. Location Of The Fortress
An space within the Guédelon forest was chosen as a result of it may present all of the pure assets wanted to create this new, previous citadel. This was vital as a result of the chateau wouldn’t have vans to move within the supplies from far distances. It will solely have human labour and horses. Guédelon was the identify chosen for the château because of the forest and close by lake.
3. Proposal And Funding
After gathering design concepts from different châteaux, getting recommendation from consultants, and drawing up plans for his citadel Guyot offered his proposal to the native Treigny commune for approval. On the identical time, he shaped a scientific committee comprised of historians (artwork and architectural) and archaeologists and solicited funding from the European Union, varied ranges of the French authorities, and enterprise companies. Initially, 400,000€ was raised to start out the château. The plan to construct Château de Guédelon was authorized in 1997. At this time the citadel is fully self-financed from ticket gross sales and income from the restaurant and present store.
4. Development Begins In 1997
When the primary stone was formally laid, on June 20, 1997, a time capsule of types was additionally buried beneath the stone. It incorporates parchment and a ten franc coin from 1997….just a few proof that this citadel appears prefer it’s from the Thirteenth century, however in actual fact is from the twentieth and twenty first centuries! The location opened to the general public in 1998 and by the tip of that first 12 months had 65,000 guests. At this time it attracts over 300,000 guests yearly.
You may even see Guédelon listed as Chantier Médiéval de Guédelon. That is the place. “Chantier” means worksite or development website. It’s sometimes called an “experimental development website”.
B. Self-Guided Go to To Guédelon Fortress
1. French Excursions
Essentially the most troublesome half about understanding how the development is being accomplished has to do with the vocabulary. My background shouldn’t be in development, structure or constructing and there are such a lot of phrases associated to those professions. Once I visited Guédelon, there have been solely French-speaking excursions. So you’ll be able to perceive how attempting to know a tour information who’s talking about development solely in French was near not possible!
I used to be given an English pamphlet that indicated the place the important thing areas had been. There was additionally a 15-minute English subtitled audio-visual presentation in one of many workshop areas. It was adopted by a Query and Reply interval, however that was in French.
2. Demonstrations
If you go to, understand that demonstrations aren’t “scheduled” as a result of the work required on the château adjustments all through the day and weeks. All of it depends upon what’s on the docket for the day. Every single day and each season is totally different. In order that’s why it’s advisable simply to wander across the website, discuss to the employees (who’re in interval costumes), and maybe return just a little later to an space you is likely to be fascinated by (ie. tile making).
3. “Guédelon: How To Construct A Fortress…the story thus far”
I bought the wonderful booklet, “Guédelon: How To Construct A Fortress…the story thus far” and it was invaluable in serving to me perceive how they’re constructing this château. I cannot inundate you with all of the venture particulars or development terminology (ie. corbels, arrow loops, voussoirs, and tracery home windows!). As an alternative, I’ll share some fascinating issues I discovered in regards to the supplies, gear, and labour used to assemble the citadel.
C. How Was Guédelon Designed?
Essentially the most exceptional issues in regards to the development of this citadel should do with how they’ll really construct one thing utilizing instruments and know-how from the Thirteenth century.
1. Affect From Philip II, King of France
Philip II, also called Philippe Auguste (1165-1223) was King of France within the twelfth and Thirteenth centuries and was instrumental in growing the scale and affect of the nation. Throughout a interval of prosperity, many fortresses and castles (ie. Louvre Fortress) had been constructed. It’s no shock that Philip II was also called the “Builder King”.
For Château de Guédelon, the work progresses in real-time, so 1997’s begin date corresponds to the 12 months 1228. 2018 corresponds to the 12 months 1249, and so forth. So, if issues are on schedule, the citadel might be accomplished by the 12 months 1253 (2023).
2. Utilizing Thirteenth Century Fortress Options
It was pure that Guédelon can be designed as a Thirteenth-century château—reflecting such a golden interval in French historical past. The “finest” options of Thirteenth-century castles can be applied into Guédelon and close by Château de Ratilly was used because the mannequin for Guédelon.
Becoming a member of Guyot and Martin on the venture group was Jacques Moulin, who was the chief architect of Historic Monuments (ie. property of Versailles), and master-mason or master-builder, Florian Renucci.
The citadel would have:
curtain partitions in a quadrangular form (a curtain wall is an exterior wall connecting the towers)cylindrical towers in every nook (the place one is the chapel and one is a pigeon loft)a fundamental gate and a postern (rear) gatea dry ditch to encompass the citadel
The primary few years had been spent merely clearing the land of all of the timber, setting the foundations of the citadel, after which setting up the perimeter partitions and cisterns. The location covers 7 hectares (about 17 acres). On this space, the plan was to not simply have a citadel, but additionally a village with workshops to make the provides (ie. stonecutting, tiles, baskets).
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3. Experimental Archaeology
The development of the citadel is a studying course of. The engineers and staff have to consistently find out about medieval methods after which work out use them in development. The idea is known as, “experimental archaeology”. Guédelon’s motto is, “Construct To Perceive”.
As the outside partitions had been being constructed, one of many first issues that wanted to be constructed had been cellars and cisterns. Again within the center ages, if a citadel was beneath assault and surrounded, how would the occupants survive with out meals and water? A cellar within the basement was created and a pair of cisterns had been constructed to gather rainwater.
D. 7 Fascinating Information About Guédelon’s Development
As talked about, Guédelon is located within the Guédelon forest which additionally has a quarry. Nearly all of the pure supplies are there to assemble the citadel: earth, ferruginous sandstone, limestone, wooden (oak), and clay. Listed here are 7 fascinating info about how the citadel is being constructed.
1. Fictitious Guilbert de Guédelon
When you’re going to create a Thirteenth-century citadel, full with a chapel, kitchen, lord’s chambers, and guard’s rooms, you’d additionally have to have a fictitious lord who wished this château created within the first place.
Figuring out the lord’s social and financial standing and place within the feudal hierarchy influences the kind of citadel that may be constructed. So Lord Guilbert Courtenay—Guilbert de Guédelon was created.
Lord Courtenay was a noblemen and vassal (feudal tenant) of Jean de Toucy, who was Lord of Saint-Fargeau. Courtenay had cash however not sufficient to make a big citadel with a moat. His marriage to Jean de Toucy’s niece did assist because it introduced him a dowry which included extra land and property (ie. mills). Consequently, he ordered the development of Château de Guédelon—a extra modest citadel with an enormous ditch surrounding the property.
2. Squirrel Cages
Probably the most fascinating items of kit at Guédelon is the “Squirrel Cage” which permits mortar, timber, stones, and different supplies to be hoisted as much as the highest of the citadel to assemble the roof, ramparts, or the 3-metre thick partitions.
It’s actually like a cage a squirrel or hamster would go in—a treadwheel winch the place a stonemason both turns the wheel or walks contained in the wheel to maneuver the crane up and down. Two staff can raise a whole bunch of kilograms of mortar simply utilizing the squirrel cage and in a typical day, 6 tonnes of supplies are moved. It’s stated {that a} employee can stroll 7 km in someday, merely strolling on the treadwheel.
3. Stones And Tiles
Click on the following picture to see the instruction for making a tile.
You gained’t see energy drills utilized by banker masons on limestone slabs! [A banker mason is a stonemason who does the final carving or shaping of the stone] . Simply chipping, chipping, chipping.
And within the tile-making workshop, it will likely be steady banging, banging, banging on clay, very like making bread. The work is tedious (and loud) and once you notice they’re making 1000’s of tiles, you recognize how troublesome the work is. 4000 tiles alone had been made and fired in a medieval kiln to make the ground of the Nice Corridor, 6000 tiles for the antechamber, and tens of 1000’s of tiles had been used to make the roof.
4. Colors And Accents
Whereas one thinks medieval instances are all gray and darkish, this château can have some color. Overlook store-bought paint and stained-glass home windows, nevertheless. The colors within the château are comprised of pigments ready on website (ie. hematite and ochre) however there aren’t any glass home windows. Glazed home windows had been utilized in non secular buildings however not in châteaux. Subsequently, parchment is coated with linseed oil and alcohol to provide it a translucent look.
Many decorations, together with floral motifs, frescoes, mural work, and friezes are additionally being added to the partitions, particularly within the bedchambers and chapel.
5. Baskets
Throughout my go to I met a basket maker. At first one thinks that she is producing it for business causes however in fact the wicker baskets changed the very heavy wood buckets and troughs that had been initially used to move mortar. After doing a little analysis on development in medieval instances, the researchers ascertained that the hampers can be a lot lighter and simply as robust in carrying the cement.
6. Hottest Job On Website
The blacksmith’s work started from the beginning of the venture as everybody (ie. stonemasons, woodcutters, carpenters, and so on.) wanted instruments. 7,000 solid nails alone needed to be made for the oak shingles on a roof. It’s a robust, sizzling job the place they’re forging steel as much as 1200° C to make nails and hinges. For soldering steel, the temperature must be 1300° C. In 2001 the fastened bridge used 667 nails and wooden from 57 oak timber.
7. Solely 35 Development Staff Plus Volunteers
At first, in 1997, there have been simply 5 workers members-Maryline Martin, a carpenter, a 2 stonemasons, and a builder. And there have been solely a handful of volunteers.
At this time, 70 persons are employed at Guédelon the place 35 work on the location from March to November—various them are from different nations (ie. Canada). And they’re all outfitted in Thirteenth-century costumes. There are some modern-day security necessities such because the sporting of exhausting hats or harnesses when essential.
How can they get a lot work accomplished with solely 35 development staff? In addition to being a vacationer website, Guédelon is a spot of training the place 11 totally different trades are at work. On-site studying takes place right here: masonry, woodcutting, rope making, tile making, carpentry, and stone carving. There’s a massive contingent of volunteers and college students—-those who’re on work placements or wish to contribute their experience to this enterprise.
Right here’s an amusing animated clip explaining how Château de Guédelon got here to be (click on the picture to be directed to the Youtube clip):
Getting To Château de Guédelon
After every week in Paris, I rented a automobile and headed south, stopping at Château Vaux-le-Vicomte for just a few hours after which driving on to Saint-Amand-en-Puisaye the place I stayed the night time (at La Bicoque en Puisaye). I selected this city as a result of it was very shut (lower than 10km) to Guédelon which I visited the following morning. The Château de Guédelon website is positioned close to the city of Treigny within the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté area of France (Burgundy).
Château de Guédelon
Tackle: D955, 89520 Treigny-Perreuse-Sainte-ColombeOpen April 2-November 6, 2022: open every day in July and August. Closed on some Tuesdays and Wednesdays in June, September, and October.Entrance: 14 € (save 1€ for those who purchase your ticket on-line)Notes:How a lot time must you give your self to go to? 3-4 hoursVisit Guédelon For The Day By Bus: for the primary time in July/August 2022, you would get a transportation/entrance ticket on Wednesdays for 49 €. A coach would take you from Paris (Bercy bus station) to Guédelon, leaving at 8:00 a.m. and returning to Paris round 9:00 p.m. Hopefully this new enterprise might be repeated in 2023.
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