A 13th-century fortress in France is being rebuilt using only medieval tools and techniques, attracting 300,000 visitors yearly.
Historical construction project in France
A construction project in the Yonne department of France, launched in 1997, is rebuilding a 13th-century fortress using only the tools, materials, and techniques available during that period.Guédelon attracts many visitors
The site, known as Guédelon, has continued to attract approximately 300,000 visitors annually for nearly thirty years.Manual labor and traditional methods
The project involves artisans using manual labor to split oak planks by hand, with 950 planks required to cover the walls of a single room. These planks are obtained by splitting the oak along the grain, a technique inherited from medieval carpenters.No modern tools used
No electric saws or modern tools are used, emphasizing the project's focus on historical accuracy and the slow, meticulous nature of medieval construction.Local materials and historical practices
The site uses local materials, including wood from surrounding forests and stones extracted from the site's own quarry. The project's philosophy is based on the assumption that medieval castles could take decades to construct, as the construction time follows the rhythm of ancient gestures rather than modern machines.Supervised by project leader
The site, supervised by Maryline Martin, co-founder and president, follows an internal chronology, with the artisans working as if it were the year 1257 in the summer of 2026.Practical applications of the project
The project's historical rigor has had practical applications beyond its educational purpose, as five carpenters and two stonecutters trained at Guédelon participated in the reconstruction of Notre-Dame de Paris.Emphasis on short supply chain
The construction site operates with a principle of total short supply chain, ensuring consistency with 13th-century forestry practices.Experimental archaeology laboratory
The project is not only a tourist attraction but also a full-scale laboratory for experimental archaeology, where the reality of medieval construction techniques is tested and observed.
