Mr. Guyot and Ms. Martin had worked side by side for the initial work, and it was now time for Ms. Martin to take over. Ms. Martin’s singular determination acquired the right land to build Guédelon.
Several years into the building of Guédelon, he left to return to complete his castle in St. Fargeau, France. Ms. Martin had great support from master stonemason Florian Renucci and the two agreed to see the project to completion.
In an interview with The Epoch Times, Ms. Martin said, “We had no idea initially of the success that Guédelon would become. There were moments in the first few years when I wondered whether we had bitten off more than we could cope with.”
A Long Build
The project has taken longer than projected for many reasons. In 1997, the project started with only 50 workers, who had to be trained in the techniques of 13th-century construction; this training was expected to take some time.Today, Guédelon has a construction crew of 109, and all the new hires were required to have prior experience in medieval construction. Thousands of visitors to Guédelon have also slowed the pace of the building as the crew also act as guides. All workers are friendly and eager to share with the visitors who speak their language.
What They Learned
Experimental archaeology is done on a massive scale at Guédelon to better understand how castles were built in the 13th century. This means studying ancient ruins and records that still exist from that time to replicate the methods used, the tools needed, and the materials necessary to build Guédelon exactly as it would have been done in the 13th century. Mr. Renucci and the team have continually researched other ancient sites as the construction progressed. This research, as well as the team’s own experimentation, has unearthed important discoveries.By studying a bridge at an ancient castle in today’s Czech Republic, the team saw that the construction of the Guédelon bridge was not going to work. Nails that had been made to use in the construction had begun to pop up. As Mr. Renucci and I walked over the old bridge, he pointed out the nails beginning to lift. Oak pegs were necessary for proper construction, stability, and ensure the lifetime of the bridge.
The team visited a water mill found at an ancient castle in Jura, France. The way the water was fed into the water mill suggested using this same method to power a flour mill. The team built a working model of a flour mill from that method. Jacques Moulin, chief architect at Guédelon, shared the research data with France’s leading archeologists about how the mill works and how much flour it produces. On some days, the flour mill can be seen operating and the flour that has just been milled is then used to bake bread on site.
The use of limestone was one of the biggest discoveries made during the castle’s construction. Limestone is used to set stones and for wall rendering. Techniques used in the modern world needed to be abandoned. Mr. Renucci said, “We needed to unlearn some methods, for example, when it came to “rendering” the walls, that is, covering them with lime to make them smooth. We initially used the modern approach of using three coats; however, we had to ‘unlearn’ this practice and adopt the medieval method of using a single coat.” One coat was how it was done in 13th-century construction and after this discovery the team’s use of lime rendering was then changed.
The use of non-hydraulic lime mortar as an alternative to modern cement will provide more environmentally sound work practices in the future. Limestone mortar was used in reconstructing older buildings and will begin to be used broadly in modern construction due to its many beneficial properties. Limestone is eco-friendly in its production, use, and durability. With its moldable and flexible properties, limestone is the ultimate durable building material.
Much of the information the team relies on for building (that can’t be studied from ancient ruins) comes from financial records preserved from the Middle Ages, indicating the cost of materials and time schedules.
According to Mr. Renucci, more structures in the complex are planned: two corner towers, a gatehouse, an eastern curtain wall, and the Great Tower.
Educating the Next Generation
Much of what has been learned in the development of Guédelon is shared with the thousands of students who come to observe, an estimated 50,000 last year. Apprenticeships in heritage skills have been started for those who are over 18. An estimated 6 million have visited Guédelon to date.The Guédelon Castle project team has not only recreated building techniques from 1,000 years ago, but it has improved on them with new construction methods and eco-friendly materials. From the blacksmith to stone masons to the carpenters to tile makers, all the craftworkers have made a vital contribution to the design and eventual completion of the castle.
Over the past 26 years, the Guédelon team has learned that builders need to use what is available and replenish what is used. Guédelon is a step into the past as well as a leap into the future.
There is no end to what can be learned from recreating a structure of the past. “Our research never stops,” Mr. Renucci said. “We will continue to visit other ancient sites to see what more we might learn and apply to what we are doing today.”
Part 3 of this series will present the quality of craftsmanship that has gone into Guédelon’s construction and the final touches that will make a castle a home.
