Guédelon by Gallimard – An open-air history book

Guédelon was born out of a crazy project: to build a fortified castle using only the tools and techniques of the early 13th century. It was in the Yonne, in the heart of an oak forest, on the site of a former iron-bearing sandstone quarry, that a handful of enthusiasts laid the first stones in 1997. A true experimental archaeological site, Guédelon has become an inexhaustible source of knowledge for archaeologists, historians and castle specialists.
The castle is being built by the sheer manual labour of some forty workers: craftsmen, quarrymen, stonemasons, bricklayers, carpenters, blacksmiths, rope-makers and others. Each season, they take turns on the site, dividing their time between construction work and engaging with the public, who are fascinated by this journey back to a past just waiting to be brought back to life.

Published by Gallimard, 64 pages + 16 inserts