http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14587321/

Craftsmen build a medieval-style castle
Stone by stone, it's a living history lesson and a successful tourism
project

By ANGELA DOLAND

Updated: 1:44 p.m. ET Sept. 13, 2006

TREIGNY, France - {AP} Once upon a time, deep in the forests of
Burgundy, a man was haunted by a vision. He dreamed of building a
castle, with turrets, great walls and a moat. Some people wondered if he
was mad.

This was, after all, 1996.

And yet Michel Guyot set out to build his castle the hard way - the
medieval way. With only hammers and chisels to carve the stones. With
only horses to cart the rock. Without power tools.

Ten years later, Guedelon castle is about one-third finished, with
imposing sandstone walls that rise up out of the red Burgundy soil. It's
a living history lesson and a successful tourism project: Last year,
245,000 visitors admired the work of Guedelon's stonecutters,
carpenters, potters, rope-makers and blacksmiths.

Some examples: A staircase turns clockwise, forcing invaders to
transfer their spears to the left hand and giving the defense an
advantage. An extra-tall step requires them to take off their
chain-link armor to scale it. Anyone who actually makes it up the
stairs alive would have to bend over to pass through a low doorway -
giving the castle's hatchet-armed defenders a prime crack at their
necks.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14587321/

Craftsmen build a medieval-style castle
Stone by stone, it's a living history lesson and a successful tourism
project

By ANGELA DOLAND

Updated: 1:44 p.m. ET Sept. 13, 2006

TREIGNY, France - {AP} Once upon a time, deep in the forests of
Burgundy, a man was haunted by a vision. He dreamed of building a
castle, with turrets, great walls and a moat. Some people wondered if he
was mad.

This was, after all, 1996.

And yet Michel Guyot set out to build his castle the hard way - the
medieval way. With only hammers and chisels to carve the stones. With
only horses to cart the rock. Without power tools.

Ten years later, Guedelon castle is about one-third finished, with
imposing sandstone walls that rise up out of the red Burgundy soil. It's
a living history lesson and a successful tourism project: Last year,
245,000 visitors admired the work of Guedelon's stonecutters,
carpenters, potters, rope-makers and blacksmiths.

The 50 paid craftsmen, plus volunteers, wear tunics and use rustic
tools. Except for the occasional hardhat or pair of safety goggles,
there's little to remind visitors that this is not the 13th century, but
the 21st.

On a recent visit to Guedelon, I watched in awe as a man climbed into a
wooden contraption that looked like a huge hamster wheel. He ran
frantically, spinning the wheel and activating a pulley system that
lifted a load of stones atop a tower.

When he was done, our tour group broke into applause, and poor Jean-Paul
climbed off the wheel, huffing and puffing and fanning his tunic. It was
all so ... medieval.

Guyot, an archaeology buff, mounted the project after restoring a castle
in nearby Saint-Fargeau. Building a castle from scratch was a childhood
dream - a sandcastle on a huge scale.

"I told myself that acts of folly are the only things that one doesn't
regret in life," Guyot said. "With projects like this, you just have to
go for them, full-speed ahead."

Though some pronounced the project outlandish, others quickly understood
his vision. It took only one year to secure financing and get going.
Work began in 1997. Guedelon, which brought in about $2.6 million from
tourists last year, no longer relies on outside funding from the state
or corporations.

Historical accuracy is key. Jacques Moulin, France's chief architect in
charge of historic monuments, designed a blueprint for the castle based
on 13th century architectural canons. Archaeologists and art historians
survey the project, which is helping castle specialists test hypotheses
about medieval building techniques.

"You learn that you can lift 1,300-pound beams without modern
machinery," said Maryline Martin, the site director. "All it takes is
common sense and manpower."

Guedelon's craftsmen say it's satisfying to build something slowly, as a
team, especially in the fast-paced Internet age. Clement Guerard, a
stonecutter, says measuring out and carving a complicated stone may take
up to eight days.

All the stones - ferruginous sandstone - come from a quarry on the site
of the castle. The wooden scaffolding comes from the surrounding forest.

"Using only the nature that surrounds you, you can build a chateau,"
said Guerard, who restored historical buildings before joining Guedelon.

On my visit, the "ping" of chisels on rock filled the air, and our tour
group was occasionally moved out of the way by a passing horse-drawn
cart. Our guide blended humor with the history lesson and had us play
the role of invaders to explain how even the smallest architectural
details helped protect castles.

Some examples: A staircase turns clockwise, forcing invaders to transfer
their spears to the left hand and giving the defense an advantage. An
extra-tall step requires them to take off their chain-link armor to
scale it. Anyone who actually makes it up the stairs alive would have to
bend over to pass through a low doorway - giving the castle's
hatchet-armed defenders a prime crack at their necks.

Our guide was waiting for me outside the doorway _ in position to karate
chop my neck. If it was the 13th century, I would have lost my head.
Instead I had a great view of the bustling work site.

Some of the walls are already covered with moss, a reminder that the
project is slow-going. If all goes well, the castle will be finished in
2023. After that, the craftsmen plan to build an abbey, then a village.

"This will never be finished, because it's not about the end result of
having a castle," Guyot said. It's about the dream of building - stone
by stone.

If You Go ...

GETTING THERE: Guedelon is about 125 miles south of Paris and is best
accessible by car. Try the Web site http://www.mappy.com/ to get driving
directions from your location to the town of Treigny. It's best also to
have a map of the department, a part of the Burgundy region that is
called Yonne. The nearest large town is Auxerre.

PLANNING A VISIT: Entry to Guedelon costs $11.50 for adults and $8.95
for children 5 and up. It's best to call ahead if you are interested in
arranging a guided tour in English. Check the Web site at
http://www.guedelon.com/ for opening times, which vary by season. Phone:
(011) 33-3-86-45-66-66.

WHERE TO STAY: Though it's possible to visit Guedelon in a day trip from
Paris, it's best to give yourself a few days to visit the vineyards,
abbeys and other beauties of Burgundy. Charming bed-and-breakfasts
abound. Try the Demeure de Forterre -
http://www.demeure-de-forterre.com/ - run by a fun-loving couple who
renovated a 15th and 16th century home. Call (011) 33-3-86-41-61-94 for
a reservation. Some English spoken.

FINE WINES: You can't visit Burgundy without stopping for a
"degustation," a wine-tasting. Try Irancy, a village of small stone
houses surrounded by vineyards. I stopped in to visit the Colinot family
of winemakers. The talkative, boisterous patriarch, Jean-Pierre, glued
the labels onto bottles as we chatted and tasted. Phone: (011)
33-3-86-42-33-25.

DINING: Guedelon has an open-air cafeteria and a picnic area. In
general, you can't go wrong with food in Burgundy, the land of Dijon
mustard, Bresse chicken and beef Bourguignon. In the nearby town of
Clamecy, try the L'Angelus restaurant for mouthwatering prix-fixe menus
in the range of $25-38. Phone: (011) 33-3-86-27-33-98.

/end


--
Fundies and trolls are cordially invited to
shove a wooden cross up their arses and rotate
at a high rate of speed. I trust you'll
be 'blessed' with a plethora of splinters.