Since 1997, people have been building an incredible castle fort, stone by stone, in the heart of the Guédelon forest, near the village of Treigny in the Puisaye. This incredible project is being carried out by some forty talented artisans, assisted each year by numerous interns and volunteers called temporary builders. Fortified enclosure and defensive towers, seigniorial living quarters, chapel, wall walk... everything is built according to the methods and materials used in the 12th and 13th centuries.
You can visit to watch the builders at work. Around the castle under construction, you can stop in front of the various workshops (forge, stone-cutting, tile-making, carpentry, pottery, dyeing, etc.) and ask questions of the expert artisans. Children and adults alike can take part in the stone-cutting workshops, and everyone can take home a souvenir made on the spot. Immersed in the sights and sounds of a medieval building site, you'll learn the secret of cob or lime walls, use of natural pigments, rope braiding, and many other techniques!
This colossal project, which serves educational and historical purposes while encouraging tourism, also focuses on scientific and ecological issues. It attempts to answer many questions about the art of building, and explores ethical methods that are more respectful of natural resources. It's a topic of study for the green builders of tomorrow, and strives to be as authentic as possible in all the techniques used.
Tourism helps the project to support itself financially: one more reason not to miss this exceptional place with something for all the family!
