Horses, tortillas and not a single straw cutter: the French are building a castle using the technologies of the XII century

Not far from the town of Treigny in French Burgundy, a medieval construction site has been in full swing for 20 years. Since 1997, adventurers have been building the Gedelon Castle here in accordance with the architectural model proposed by King Philip II of France in the XII century. The peculiarity of the project is that only those tools and technologies that existed in the Middle Ages are used in construction. That's why things are moving so slowly. The completion of the work is scheduled for 2023.

Source: guedelon.fr

Initially, the construction was sponsored by architect Michel Gayot. And after Gedelon became widely known, the project was transformed into crowdfunding. 55 full-time jobs have been created at the facility, but several hundred more volunteers come to help every year. All builders wear medieval clothes while working. Many of them live in huts near the castle, where the life and furniture of the XII century are reproduced.

Of course, there is no end of tourists. For example, about 300 thousand people visited here last year. A restaurant with a menu of medieval dishes has been opened for them and excursions are conducted, during which you can learn about working conditions in the Middle Ages and about different professions of that time.

The site was chosen because of the availability of building materials. Nearby there is a vast forest, a pond, an abandoned construction quarry where limestone is mined for masonry. A large team of stonemasons processes stones manually. And they lift weights with the help of a primitive crane with a hub wheel.

All transportation of materials at the construction site is carried out on horse-drawn carts. To do this, I had to start my own stable. Horseshoes for horses are made in a local forge. Actually, like all other tools used.

Special attention is paid to the interior design of the castle. Apparently, in order to further complicate their lives, the authors of the project consult with the imaginary owner of the Hedelon about the decoration. And this gentleman is very capricious.