A project in the middle of the forest in the interior of France. People dress like they are in the 13th century and build a castle. And for 25 years! So what is this project?
When we take a glance at the greatest works of past civilizations on earth, we can admire the craftsmanship behind them. Every stone and every piece we see in these artifacts was placed there by the hands of the people working in the construction of the work, for centuries managed to survive.
Alright, huge castles and castles What would be the result if we tried to do a small-scale project, not such a huge one, under the same conditions? The answer to this question is being tried to be given with a project that has been going on for twenty-two years.
Project where people built castles as if they were living in the 13th century:
Located close to the Treigny region of France, this construction started 25 years ago. The castle, which is actively being built today, in the 13th century It is built with the construction methods used.
Each piece used in the construction is naturally procured from the areas close to the castle. Wood is obtained by cutting trees, stones placed in the castle are obtained by breaking rocks and large stones.
Let’s get down to the details of the project: How and why did it start?
The project is located 13 kilometers from the region. Saint Fargeau CastleIt was started by owner Michel Guyot. Buying the ruins of Saint Fargeau in 1979, Guyot encountered a major discovery in 1995.
The team involved in the renovation of Saint Fargeau came across the original castle plans. Guyot, after discovering these plans, started from scratch. He got the idea to build a castle. For this, he brought together resources and experts, and presented his ideas to the French managers.
The main idea of the project was to fully understand the possibilities needed to build such a structure in the 13th century.
The idea to build a castle from scratch raised 400 thousand euros:
Guyot had great success after presenting his idea. The European Union, the local and central French government, and some commercial organizations have contributed to Guyot’s project. 400 thousand euros invested. On 20 July 1997 the first stone of the castle was placed with a ceremony.
The name of the castle, ‘Guédelon Castle‘ would be.
The place where the castle will be built was also chosen meticulously. The surroundings of the castle host suitable conditions for the supply of some of the materials that will be used most during construction. A large forest, a pond, an abandoned stone pit and much more, it can be found around the castle.
The construction of the castle has continued ever since: Here is its evolution over the years.
Let’s take a look at the build process:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxxaUp-OllA
Did these constructions really take that long?
Actually no, such small-scale castle constructions did not last that long in the 13th century. The fact that this project has been going on for more than 25 years is basically to working style connected.
The employees here are volunteers in the project and of course, they are not involved in the construction with a professional duty. In addition, employees are also obliged to host tourists who come to visit.
The project has another plus: Tourism
Guédelon Castle continues to be a major tourist center since the first years of its construction. In the data shared in 2014, it was stated that the castle hosts around 300 thousand tourists every year, with an average income of 3 million euros.
So, has what was learned in the project worked out so far? Yes, and in a very important place:
This project has proven to be of great benefit even today, although it is considered ‘unnecessary’ by many. The construction techniques learned and applied in the project were used in the renovation process of Notre Dame Cathedral, which faced a devastating fire in 2019.