France Trip Day 3: Guédelon - A Castle in the Making

This morning we said our thank yous and goodbyes to Sally and her family and headed out for the next part of our big adventure. On our way to the Loire Valley, we stopped in Puisaye, Burgundy to check out a construction site.

Le chantier Guédelon is not just any construction site. Guédelon is the brainchild of Michel Guyot who had restored castles, but had always dreamed of building one. The epiphany came to him one night over drinks with friends at his restored castle in Saint Fargeau. By morning he realized that it would be a works program that would employ people in the process and that admission tickets from the public would cover the costs of construction. So, the plan was to build a complete 13th century castle using only authentic tools and locally sourced materials. Every detail of the project is as accurate as possible, even down to the clothes worn by the workers.

Inspiration for the architectural designs for the site came from thirteenth century castles built during the reign of Philippe Auguste and the plans were drafted by Jacques Moulin, architect-in-chief of Historic Monuments.

No power tools or equipment are used. Only techniques and materials used in the Middle Ages are allowed. Every stone is cut with hammer and cold chisel; every plank is milled by a sawyer (or two); the rope maker turns hemp and sisal into ropes; the blacksmith hammers red hot iron on his anvil; heavy materials are hoisted by humans in a giant wooden hamster wheel; etc… No machines. No diesel fumes. Everything is made by hand or drawn by horses! We couldn't wait to see Guédelon all abuzz with activity. This was going to be the closest we would ever come to using a time machine.

The materials needed for the construction of the castle - wood, stone, earth, sand and clay - are all to be found here, in this abandoned quarry. Sandstone is quarried near the site, using only hand tools (such as sledgehammers), and then carried by horse-cart or wheelbarrow to the area where masons wait to shape the rock with chisels and mauls. The nearby forests provide wood for a variety of uses including the production of beams, planks, levers, scaffolding, banisters, wheelbarrows, pails, and tool handles, as well as fuel for all the site’s heating needs.

One of those heating needs is the kiln in which sandstone is fired for two days, before producing a lump of iron ore. Blacksmiths reheat the iron in a furnace before shaping it on their anvils into nails, tools, chains, weapons, or hinges. Likewise, blocks of limestone are heated to obtain quicklime, which is mixed with sand to produce mortar. Earth is used to produce bricks, pottery and tiles, and to weatherproof walls. Lastly, the project’s rope makers rely on hemp to create lifting ropes, belts, and harnesses.

We arrived at Guédelon at lunchtime, so we first ate lunch and then walked all around the area. It was empty. Not a single worker demonstrating his or her skills. Very disappointing. I whispered to David, "I hope they're all just at lunch." It was reminiscent of another disappointing visit to a "medieval village" we had a few months ago where half the village was under renovation and covered in scaffolding and we only saw 1 person demonstrating a skill.

We got a closer look at the castle, which has been under construction for 10 years and won't be finished for another 20 years or so. Back in the 13th century, with plenty of workers on hand, it would have taken around 6 years to complete. With only 50 workers who take the winter off, construction should take about 30 years.

Three or four men run in this human hamster wheel to raise heavy stone and wooden beams to the upper levels of the castle.

Emmie looking out at the townsfolk, as a little princess might have done centuries ago.

The ceiling inside one of the partly constructed towers

The temperature felt like it dropped 20 degrees when we entered this room.

Princess Emilie

Another view

This fellow was the only "costumed" worker we came across while initially touring the area. His job, at that moment, was to tell people they could not climb up a certain staircase.

So, we toured the whole site, seeing an empty blacksmith work station, an empty rope-maker's shed, an empty stone-cutter's, wool dyer's, and clay tile maker's work station. David and I were about to say, "OK, guys. Back to the car and on to the Loire," when we heard a commotion from around the corner. We turned around, and there they were -- all of the workers coming back from lunch. So, we had to do another tour of the entire place. I guess the idea of staggering your lunchbreaks for the benefit of tourists was not a popular one in the 13th century.

A basket weaver showing a group of school children how he makes the baskets that are used to transport materials all through the site.

Making roofing clay tiles was hard work. The young lady on the right, who we think was new to her job, looked like she was worn out after just 2 or 3 tiles.

A group of school kids trying their hand at carving tiles.

The rope maker doing his thing

The blacksmith showed us how he made nails. He is also constantly repairing tools.

One of four very strong horses who transport stone from the quarry to the stonecutters and other materials throughout the site.

A stonecutter at work

The wool dyer showing how to spin wool into yarn. I'm not sure, though, if all the workers' clothes are made on site.

We had a close call on the way to see this sawyer stripping down a log. As I made my way first toward his shed walking through tall grass, I suddenly felt intense heat and froze. "Don't move!" I called back to the kids as I looked frantically around. Where was that heat coming from? It felt like a fire was burning right next to me. And then I spied, not three feet from me, a smoldering pile of well-camouflaged ashes -- red-hot ashes under gray ones. Were we off the path? Another glance around showed that there was no actual path. We steered clear of the ashes, but I couldn't help but think how awful it would have been if we allowed the kids to run along ahead of us, as we usually do, and they had stumbled through the unmarked pile of hot ashes.

Another view of the quarry from which workers retrieve all the stones used in construction

Laying wood shingles on a worker's hut

Patterns hanging from the ceiling show all the different sizes and shapes stones need to be shaped into. We did spy modern safety goggles at this station.

Partly completed tower

A green castle meant you were allowed to enter, a red castle meant you couldn't. We didn't know what to think here.

Here you can see just how thick castle walls were

One last look, with the horse working hard

Here is an artist's rendering of what the castle will look like when finished. Don't worry, you still have 20 years to visit Guédelon if you want to see if before its completed.

I just had to take a picture of this charming Citroën parked next to us in the parking lot.

We'd have to stick Rebecca in this little cubby if we drove this car.