NORTHERN BURGUNDY, France — Deep in a forest of France’s Burgundy region, a group of enthusiasts is building a medieval castle the old-fashioned way — that is, with tools and methods from the late 13th century.
Some of those working here are heritage trade craftspeople, others are ardent history buffs, but all say they share a deep respect for nature and the planet, and a desire to return to simpler times.
“This is a place you experience with all your senses,” says Sarah Preston, communications director and guide of these grounds known as Guédelon Castle. “As soon as we walk onto the site you smell the woodsmoke. There’s something so evocative about these sites and sounds.”
Just as she speaks, a horse cart rolls past carrying wood. Tapping from stonemasons rings out in the distance.
Once beyond the entrance barn doors, visitors plunge into a bygone age. There are no mechanical sounds, no motor engines — and cellphones must be turned off.
The idea to build Guédelon was born in 1995 among three friends, residents of the area, who are also history buffs and nature lovers. One of the three owned a nearby 17th century château and was involved in work to restore different castles in the area.
“But we thought, how amazing would it be to actually build a castle from scratch?” Maryline Martin, CEO and a co-founder of Guédelon, told public radio station France Culture last year.
After finding and purchasing the original 27 acres of land in a forest near a centuries-old abandoned quarry and water (necessary ingredients for any medieval construction site), the co-founders got a construction permit and, in 1997, laid the first stones.
Martin said the project is all about highlighting nature, history, archaeology and heritage skills. An advisory committee made up of…
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