Building a medieval castle from scratch

In the forests of Burgundy in central France, there's a bold effort underway to build a medieval castle, as they would have in an era before electricity, using ancient tools and laying stones by hand. Correspondent Seth Doane visits Guédelon, a project that has expanded into a modern medieval village, and meets a new generation of specialist artisans embracing the ways of another time.
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[@Siansonea]

I always love seeing how Guédelon is getting along.

[@piccalillipit9211]

YEP - I have been following it for years.

[@MrDukeSilverr]

every couple of years someone makes a video about them, which is the only way im keeping up

[@nakenmil]

@@MrDukeSilverr haha, same for me. Always fun to check in. ^^

[@Gravelgratious]

One day you will see it completed, and then wonder wher the next one will be built?🤔

[@jared9643]

Yeah, every year or two a video comes out with the progress. Exactly what I was thinking as it was loading.

[@quuaaarrrk8056]

_"Why do you build a medieval castle"_ *"Because building a cathedral would have been more complicated"* I absolutely love this (slightly paraphrased).

[@gauntlettcf5669]

Ngl I would love to see a new Cathedral. 😍

[@Brokokush]

@@gauntlettcf5669 It would be nice when they're done with the castle to see them build a church for the village !

[@gauntlettcf5669]

@@Brokokush Absolutely! You are SO right! 😍

[@johnmacmillan3941]

@@gauntlettcf5669 we should first finish those cathedrals that we started in Spain :D then build a new one

[@Ghostwatcher1923]

@@johnmacmillan3941 the one they started building in cologne 1248 isn´t finished till today ^^

[@matthewtaylor3347]

True appreciation of how hard it was to make these marvels of construction without modern technology.

[@cartoonraccoon2078]

Indeed! Also proof that every time we see stacked stones, "it 'must have been aliens' because people couldn't have..." is just silly. People can do work!

[@rivertonhigh-v4t]

@@cartoonraccoon2078 And with all the modern tech and computers, people these days can only build gaudy McMansions and cookie-cutter skyscrapers.

[@intractablemaskvpmGy]

@@cartoonraccoon2078 This project is taking decades as the staff is small. In the actual period probably hundreds of laborers and these castles only took years to build. They sprouted up like mushrooms under Norman rule. Humans are very capable we don't need any stupid alien to help us lol

[@Dreagostini]

@@intractablemaskvpmGy Normal Castles are more like a Mott and Bailey. The castle in the clip is way more advanced than that.

[@FlyingFox86]

@@intractablemaskvpmGy It's not only because of the small staff, but also because they do tours of the castle in construction. They are both learning and teaching from the process of building it, so they don't want it to be finished quickly.

[@flashflame4952]

Craftsmanship!!! That's why I admire older buildings in NYC and hate when they randomly knock them down to build an ugly building that looks like an ice cube tray. No character whatsoever! The building of this castle is fantastic with people using real talent!!!

[@yvonneplant9434]

However there is some interest in re-learning stone work/craft. To help end all of use of glass.

[@arvedludwig3584]

Some years before the pandemic I read an article in which some architects were advocating for a return to older construction styles to make cities and twon more liveable again and less sterile.

[@DecibelAlex]

I'm sure they're not being demolished randomly in favor of an ice cube tray, but they've found some structural weakness and deemed the building unsafe. There was a building that collapsed recently because someone decided to knock out their fireplace when they were renovating their apartment

[@felipeortiz6386]

👏

[@Aurora57511]

Have you seen that the bricks are in 3-4 rows or more? I always wanted to know how all that detail work with the bricks on one row.

[@carolynkline8878]

There's a documentary series on this castle done in 2014 with Historian Ruth Goodman. I remember seeing it and was fascinated. Have been keeping tabs on the castle ever since. Would love to visit it some day. The show was called Secrets of the Castle. Highly recommended.

[@kristend344]

Peter Ginn was also in it - he's an archeologist. Very good series.

[@benanders4412]

They made some good progress in the last 10 years.

[@therovingrobin5938]

I had the accompanying book as well...great stuff!

[@AveCaesar2025]

@@kristend344 She's worked with him on many other series such as the Tudor/Edwardian/Wartime Farms

[@damionkeeling3103]

They tried to build one in the USA but the Ozark Medieval Fortress was abandoned after a couple of years, a pity no investors ever came forward to complete it.

[@DomDom-tw5jk]

I encourage every foreigner to come and visit this site, it is very interesting and impressive, and it is an opportunity to visit the heart of France, very different from Paris but full of hidden jewels like this

[@videoinformer]

Fantastic synergy between construction, scholarly research, historical and practical education of scholars, trade workers, and the general public, and tourism that funds the project! The greatest value in the project, by all measures of value, is in its ongoing work rather than in it being so complete as for work to end.

[@ChiefRxcka]

I'm jealous of these people. To have a passion like they must in the first place, and then getting to live their dream life like the stone mason said. I can't even imagine how peaceful that feels.

[@debbralehrman5957]

The BBC did a great Series about making a Castle. This one and they show a lot of the steps. Even how the workers lived. Thanks for showing it. It has been a few years since I last saw it. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@donnajenkins4721]

I watched that too, 3 historians who go back in time and live in the time period. They did other series as well, living on a Tudor period farm, an Edwardian farm, etc. Very interesting and entertaining.

[@seitavw]

Another poster mentioned Secrets of the Castle. Maybe thats the one? Its on youtube!

[@donnajenkins4721]

@@seitavw yes that is the one.

[@panderson9561]

I remember seeing that years ago...and I mean YEARS ago. Can't believe they're still at it. Tells you how long it took to build a castle.

[@G31M1]

I remember reading about this in a book about castles as a child. Now I'm 26 years old and it warms my heart that these people are still continuing the project!

[@larsrons7937]

Thanks for sharing that. What a coincidence. I actually think it's 26 years ago the project started. I remember it from over 20 years ago, early in the project. Somewhere I have an old newspaper article about it from around year 2000.

[@yc__]

1:23 Well, in Meßkirch (Germany) they are currently building a whole monastery after they were inspired by Guédelon.

[@louisegogel7973]

That is sehr schön!

[@-TheP-]

Campus Galli ? I heard the Guedelon guys went see how they dealt with oiled goat skins for windows.

[@whitefam2000]

been following this for the better part of over 10 yrs now. My wife found it, and at that time they were saying it would take minimum of 25 yrs to build. Here we are 2+ yrs past that minimum, what a wonderful project.

[@kentslocum]

Yup; they extended the estimated completion date in order to focus more on education and training. To be honest, most of the value of Guedelon is in seeing it under construction. Once the castle is completed, they will need to start a new project to keep the momentum going. Perhaps a church or a village?

[@upsill]

@@kentslocum Or both !

[@tricksor6589]

@@kentslocum I believe the original plan was to construct the surrounding village too

[@kentslocum]

@@tricksor6589 That would be pretty cool!

[@scottymcm]

I think it's also important to note that going back and exploring long abandoned/forgotten methods can help reveal things we may have missed when upgrading to the next best thing. We may had improved but what did we give up for that and can we utilize what was given up today now that technology has gone even further! I absolutely love seeing how the castle has progressed over the years.

[@Lapantouflemagic0]

you're correct, actually the castle got funded as an "experimental archeology" project, it helped rediscover a bunch of technique that were forgotten, or rembered but full of mistakes that they could correct. I think it's really great to know that even in this day and age, we still have the know-how to make beautiful buildings just out of plain old rocks.

[@jcarm185]

This is one of the coolest projects happening on our planet today I would argue; its not only fascinating but doing a superior job at preserving historical techniques and technologies.

[@claiborneeastjr4129]

This is absolutely amazing. I think this project is just astounding and I admire those hardworking artisans who are creating this masterpiece, bit by bit, piece by piece. I would offer to help if I lived nearby, but I'm 10,000 miles away! It makes one appreciate the incredible skills of medieval stonemasons, blacksmiths, carpenters, bricklayers, glazers, plumbers, architects, roofers, painters, woodworkers, laborers, et al. Really breathtaking.

[@ignatiuskhan]

Correct me if I'm wrong but everything has been built using techniques and materials of the time. Only 3 contemporary items can be found on the site,: ropes, goggles and working shoes, all this for insurance reasons. Everything else, from the iron for the tools, to the last roof tile was produced on the premises, with the materials found on the premises.

[@dandomine]

Ropes were definitely available in medieval times, as for the other two one can forgive them for keeping themselves safe.

[@ignatiuskhan]

@@dandomine Ha ha! I know they had ropes in the middle age. They make ropes on the site but they are not used to haul heavy loads. What I meant is that workers on the site must use plastic/nylon/or whatever ropes for insurance purposes.

[@dandomine]

@@ignatiuskhan Sorry, misunderstood that!

[@patrickd9551]

As a modern (as far as I can claim that) blacksmith, I can tell you that the steel they use is very much modern and not locally sourced. You can see the homogeneous steel as it's being heated to red hot. Old fashioned iron has a different look to it. Next they would use a medium/high carbon insert in their tools for the working end, you would see a line between the two different materials. Creating iron bloom and subsequently steel from raw materials is a highly laborious process, that will yield a low(er) quality material compared to modern materials. The blacksmithing processes however are very much of the age. You don't have to be 100% authentic, it's close enough.

[@louisegogel7973]

Interesting comments! ty everyone!

[@robynmasters335]

My grandfather was a carpenter. I do lots of types of art and crafts. As a creative type, I can say that I appreciate and love doing things old school, far more than to use modern technology.

[@brett76544]

I was hired to replicate an end table for this one couple, they took photos, measurements, and the initials and symbol of the maker. It was the guy that trained my grandfather, so I sent them an image of the design for the table about 10 minutes later and my mark. same symbol as the guy that made it, but with my initials. those guys were in California, and I was in PA. I ended up making a buffet for their dining room in the same design and my uncle made a few more things for them. One thing I learned, how to turn a 4 ft log into a chest and even the brass work on it.

[@wirelesmike73]

The knowledge of the old ways, along with the benefit of modern research to prevent the use of harmful substances. The best of both worlds, brought together to keep history alive for the modern age. I love to hear that the skills developed and honed there are helping to restore Notre-Dame. Proof, if there ever was any, that the ways of the past were not only better in some ways, but still as relevant as ever. Imagine how hard it would've otherwise been to find people with the knowledge and hands-on skill for such an undertaking, were it not for the years that this wonderful place had been growing. Amazing. I hope to go there and see it myself, someday.

[@jfrancobelge]

In many French cities for the last ten years or so they had to destroy buildings from the 1960's, recent 50-60 year old buildings, because they were already on the point of collapsing, whereas in the historic centers some buildings built centuries ago, as far back as the middle-ages, are still standing straight and strong.

[@YouCanCallMeReTro]

Using their skills to help repair the Notre Dame to me is everything coming full circle. Its a beautiful thing what they're doing.

[@christianwestling2019]

Extremly impressive. That they helped with Notre Dame shows that the intentions; keeping these traditions alive; worked.

[@Stevelemontrudy]

Dream job. I love learning how people did stuff before modern tools and techniques.

[@JasonFightsCrime]

They had a similar project in Arkansas where they were building a castle using authentic techniques. We visited it once or twice. I think it shut down about 15 years ago.

[@leeburks4540]

They assumed locals would volunteer labor, as I recall. Its remoteness from urban centers worked against it; not enough enthusiasts around who could afford to donate time & labor. I never understood why the round tower had arrow slits on the ground floor!

[@JasonFightsCrime]

@@leeburks4540 If it was just a bit closer to Branson, I wonder if they could have drawn more folks.

[@louisegogel7973]

Is anyone thinking of giving it a go again? It would be an awesome workshop project for people going there for month long learning by doing.

[@ommsterlitz1805]

typical american laziness

[@JacobBarbee-jf4fy]

One more world war away from this castle too being a thing of the past.....

[@WhoDoctor-u2e]

Even the way they are building the castle is a work of art. Lovely.

[@momopirou3107]

every now and then a video about Guédelon is released, its a nice way to see the evolution. first one I saw they were finishing the main building, and not a single tower had a roof

[@steveconn]

That's amazing using original pigments to do their wall designs. Like a French colonial Williamsburg.

[@jct35j]

Truly wonderful...rediscovering ancient knowledge.

[@DejouanyGonzague]

Guédelon is unique and the challenge extraordinary - The result will be as remarkable as Notre Dame in Paris

[@thomasalden6263]

I love the attention to detail and history, Great Wall art, and living history

[@jeffreybedwell1050]

I saw something about this years ago, nice to get the update😊

[@haldorax]

This sparked a memory of seeing this on TV a long time ago. Glad to see the project is still making progress!

[@2_thumbs_up_baby]

Absolutely beautiful. Magnificent castle A great credit to the workers and everyone involved

[@brandonhamilton833]

So cool to see it grow over the years

[@louisegogel7973]

I think this is such an awesome project! So worth the journey on all sides.

[@LadiesMan-bo2cc]

That is so Epic. This is something I’d want to volunteer on the weekends!

[@casthelion416]

I have been there twice, last time was 7 years ago, amazing to see how much they have progressed.

[@SuperLn1991]

Well, they are going extremely slow on purpose so they can still get money out of the tourists and keep using it to teach kids from schools around.

[@garotadagavea]

This will be very useful. This is a repository of conservation skills.

[@damionkeeling3103]

I was reading a book about the period following the collapse of the Westerrn Roman Empire in Britain. It made the observation that one of the problems the Britons faced was that industry had become centralised so when these large scale production sites were lost to the encroaching Anglo-Saxons or just plague, a disproportionate amount of craft/industrial knowledge was lost. As a result much of Britain ended up with a culture that was technologically inferior to that of their Iron Age ancestors who faced off against the Romans. It's good to know that such skills as being learned at Guedolon are being preserved in human memory. You never know what's around the corner.

[@Saprimentozz_Big_trap]

I love you France❤ France really save culture. Great work❤ Love from Russian small town

[@benjaminngopwaamos6878]

This is a good project and a good idea. It's a good way of preserving and continuing medieval architecture and showing how effective the construction techniques of that era will always be.

[@madmartigan8119]

Love how much they've gotten done, I watched a documentary on it or TV show can't remember, they are really putting in their souls

[@karansjet3823]

My town used to be a roman fort so we also have something like this in our town but roman style. It used to be a lot bigger back in the day, but sadly due to lack of tourist they had to scale down a lot. It used to also show how the tribal people outside of the roman fort (and more specifcally locally) lived. You could even go there and bake bread the roman way etc... very cool.

[@KlyBell]

This is SO COOL! Thank you for sharing this.

[@chrisgriffith9252]

27 years into a 25 year project... This is so awe inspiring

[@NoNeedJustFeed]

this project is absolutely amazing

[@curly_]

always good to have an update

[@a11young]

Incredible segment

[@Collin_The_Red]

I wish the whole world still lived like this

[@bethanycousineau197]

WHAT AN EXCITING PROJECT!!!!!

[@vaenii5056]

Incredible. Definitely one of the places I would love to visit.

[@TacticalCaveman997]

Been watching this cattle build for years. Absolutely love it.

[@pscar1]

L'un de mes endroits préférés. Je l'ai visité pour la première fois il y a 20 ans et plusieurs fois depuis. C'est toujours intéressant de voir comment progresse la construction.

[@louisegogel7973]

Très bien!

[@Lapantouflemagic0]

j'adorerais y aller, malheureusement d'ici a ce que j'ai des gosses et qu'ils soient en age d'apprécier ca, le chateau sera terminé depuis belle lurette. j'espere qu'ils trouveront un projet intéressant pour continuer.

[@ShikamaruXT]

There also is a smaller, more rural project in south-west germany, north of lake constance, called Campus Galli. Experimental archeology kinda goes hard

[@caranorn]

And Guédelon and Campus Galli collaborate on some of their projects. One example I seem to recall was the rawhide windows where each tested different procedures, they then compared the results and were able to improve both through the experience.

[@lyher2722]

Fantastic idea.!!! Teaching people life long skills. Teaching people thousand year old stone building craftsmanship. People will always be building out of stone.

[@AveCaesar2025]

Lots of stone buildings in Europe, stone buildings also always need repairs so stonemasons aren't a craft likely to die out any time soon [my landlord is a stone mason & master craftsman, builds houses, garden walls etc all done by shaping the stones using a hammer and chisel and his youngest son is following in his footsteps].

[@vsznry]

This is awesome. I hope they have a brewery.

[@Valecto]

There is definitely an inn, but I can't recall there being a brewery (I may be wrong though). Keep in mind Guedelon is in Burgundy... so wine is pretty easy to get.

[@olgahein4384]

Oh wow they are still building it. I heard about it the first time as a kid, when they were just a few years in and i was really sad there is nothing similar in Germany and i really wanted to be a part of it, even though barely anyone thought it will be anything substancial. But now it has become a great example of 'living history' in the full meaning of the term. Happy to see how far they've come and that it's not only going strong, but has grown as a project and in numbers of participants.

[@George-cr6jq]

there is actually something similar in germany called Campus Galli

[@benjaminlamey3591]

This is experimental archeology. by recreating the techniques, they help understanding the remains found in archeology. they help understanding what the times really were, help understanding the economy of the times and give a new light to the text that are left from these times.

[@SoItGoesCAL34]

Thanks, that is very interesting. My Dad was a stonemason. I bet he would have enjoyed visiting.

[@cgaret310712]

Guédelon is my favorite visiting spot nearby Paris. Every 2-3 years I am going there to see the evolution.

[@itzcaseykc]

Awesome to see how some are still using age-long techniques to make buildings and structures like this in our day-n-age to resemble the past.

[@Dene181]

It is a really special place!

[@medusagorgon9]

I would genuinely love to work there myself! Such an awesome thing.

[@kellysalyer1972]

Finally got to go there last summer while on vacation. I had a great time there.

[@louisegogel7973]

Awesome!

[@murilo2188]

I remeber reading about this castle as a child, now I'm 20 is crazy how time passes

[@Legna1826]

Love the medieval castles and the look of them. good video

[@C0yf1sh]

Whats cool about roman concrete is if it cracks, it can remineralize and “fix” itself, one of the reasons you still see large intact pieces

[@guntherschmitt2229]

Simply amazing!

[@jovenpadawan]

I love this initiative!

[@49lucky]

Yes compared to instant homes made today.😅😅 Just beautiful.

[@osar2870]

Yes but takes 100x longer and costs 1000x more money

[@Llamadosalvaje]

Wow! Amazingly!

[@TheSouthIsHot]

I would love to visit this castle.

[@uria3679]

I hope this project gets more attention and help

[@Paulnikon]

This is fascinating. Every bit of it.

[@d11m11b]

❤I would love to find more projects like this

[@rustynailmendlesohn8710]

What a truly wonderful story😊. I enjoyed that a lot.👍👍 TY

[@larsrons7937]

I absolutely adore this project ever since I first heard of it over 20 y. ago. I hope one day to be able to participate myself.

[@Leon-bc8hm]

Brilliant movie set as well. Even while its being build.

[@YG-fm2wv]

This is really amazing.

[@mikecobalt7005]

:) You all are Amazing, every time I look in it's better. To *watch (KZbin wise) a castle being built in all of the right ways and by the people with the right skills it's like a fantasy come to life.

[@justinremschneider9614]

Beautiful!

[@charlotteryner6583]

Outstanding!

[@wasumyon6147]

This is the best idea moderns have ever come up with. In social services no less..

[@007NowOnline]

Thats so freaking cool. Would like to visit it one day.

[@BenKuipers]

Amazing! So beautiful...

[@gram2977]

Absolutely amazing! Great story, so fascinating.

[@jamesburton1050]

The original definition of using tools to make tools!!

[@deannamadrigal7503]

So beautiful! This is how we used to live... A Hard Day's Work and something to be proud of, to be connected to Nature and everything around us not like California forever and Silicon Valley.

[@DefensisIndus]

Sooo you want MORE cars, MORE traffic, MORE parking lots, instead of a walkable city like 'California Forever'?? 😂 Go look at Saudi Arabia's plans for the future, like 'Kalbod', and 'Neom' and then you'll see that we're not doing a darn thing in USA 😂

[@DefensisIndus]

Soooo you want MORE cars, MORE traffic, MORE huge parking lots instead of a 'walkable' city like 'California Forever'? Go look at Saudi Arabia's plans for the future like 'Kalbod' and 'Neom' and then tell me if we're ever going to build Megalithic structures like that in USA

[@randygerman2176]

Fantastic!!

[@neilbrooks5099]

There was a documentary series on British tv about the construction of this castle

[@nbc8944]

Super cool project!

[@martihetrick609]

Aswome job love this

[@mathgasm8484]

Peasant jobs nice! I would love a castle.

[@adorabledeathwish]

Amazing!! I want to be a part of the village

[@pattdunn9845]

This is amazing !!

[@thatScoutdog]

This is cool I saw the castle before but they were always old uploads I'm glad this was an update instead and how they helped Notridam is neat didn't know that eather

[@louisegogel7973]

Yes it is an awesome offshoot of real benefit!

[@MyAcer20]

oh they finished the tower looks awesome

[@AlayaViaja]

Gracias por compartir 1👋🇪🇸

[@abc-xk1mw]

Awesone!!!!!

[@nancymolina10195]

I feel like I want to work there! What it feels like in back history when old people were young n worked so hard during 24 hrs of their hardest work to build n castle, black smith n more. Cuz I’m also unemployed person, but I do have trouble with allergies, but never mind of that. Plz higher me.

[@mmk-w4901]

In Austria there is also an old castle beeing built this way, it is in Friesach.

[@olgahein4384]

Ah right, i heard about that. It was a little tower (well, a thick one) last time i checked.

[@mmk-w4901]

@olgahein4384 well Austria is small, France is big. Nevertheless it is an important project which will grow over 30 years and finally get also bigger. Its fascinating!

[@Dazzle2Servant]

Beautiful

[@DanGifford-c4g]

I wish I could be a part of this. Just awesome

[@TomasTomi30]

This is amazing