Set up by a handful of history and heritage enthusiasts, the Guédelon castle construction project is a real curiosity in France. Launched in 1995, dozens of “œuvriers” work every day to build a real medieval castle. The twist? The building is constructed using only the methods of the time, and it’s possible to visit!
Guédelon: the crazy project of a castle built using the methods of the time
Just like Facteur Cheval’s Palais idéal, there are other slightly eccentric but totally ingenious projects in France, the brainchild of a single man or a small team. The Château de Guédelon is certainly one of them, from the initial idea to the actual construction. The organization, construction techniques and materials used all more or less echo those of the Middle Ages.
We have to go back 30 years to the beginnings of the project, to 1995, when Michel Guyot, already owner of the Château de Saint-Fargeau in the region, had a revelation. After a detailed study of his property, he learned that a medieval castle lay hidden beneath the building as we know it today. Interested by the phrase “It would be fascinating to rebuild Saint-Fargeau”, he set himself the challenge of building a castle from scratch, and enlisted a number of enthusiasts in the adventure.
The idea of rebuilding the Château de Saint-Fargeau was quickly discarded, in favor of a new castle inspired only by neighboring buildings. A single direction was taken as a reference, that of Philippian architecture from the first third of the 13th century. Once the land had been found and funding pooled, the work began in 1997, in the heart of a forest where there was nothing but an old stone quarry.
As early as 1998, the site opened its doors to the public, and many a visitor has come to take a look at the progress of the work. Since then, the château has been gradually taking shape. Vaulted ceilings have been erected, as have the dwelling, the walkways and the first towers. Every day in spring, summer and autumn, workers from many different trades have been taking it in turns to contribute their stone to the edifice for almost 30 years now.
“Building for understanding” is the credo of the whole project. That’s why so many visitors flock to the estate. They can also take part in introductory workshops on medieval building techniques. As well as seeing the work in progress, there’s a whole educational dimension for young and old alike, whose attendance finances the whole project.
It’s a never-ending story, a journey through time, but above all an open-air educational, scientific and human adventure. Guédelon is all of these things, so to take part in this historic “miracle”, all you have to do is take the train from Paris!
📍Château de Guédelon – D955, 89520 Treigny-Perreuse-Sainte-Colombe – 2 hours by train from Paris.