Medieval History
With the official launch last month, a team of French and American architectural experts, historians and entrepreneurs have embarked on a 20 year project to build a medieval castle in the American state of Arkansas. The Ozark Medieval Fortress was officially opened to the public on May 1 as an educational project and tourist attraction.
The creation is the brainchild of Michel Guyot - after restoring four castles decided that he wanted to recreate his own 13th century style fortress. He started building Guédelon Castle in Burgundy, France in 1997 - it is due to be completed sometime in the 2020s.
Another opportunity presented itself in 2008 when a retired French couple, Solange and Jean-Marc Mirat, decided to offer Guyot some of their land in northern Arkansas town of Lead Hill. After raising $1.5 million in investments, Guyot bought the 50-acre property and started construction.
The Ozark Medieval Fortress aims to be a full-sized, fortified castle, with 45 foot high towers, a drawbridge, and 6 foot wide stone walls surrounding an expansive inner courtyard, using the materials, techniques, and rules of the 13th century. Thirty masons, carpenters and stone carvers authentically dressed, plan to work year-round for twenty years before the project is complete.
One of the goals of the building project is to reproduce with utmost authenticity the technology used in the 13th century, with the exception of adhering to modern safety standards. Historians, such as Professor Andrew Tallon of Vassar University, are monitoring the construction.
Like the Guédelon Castle project, the organizers believe that the castle will be a fascinating educational opportunity for students, offering what they call an "open air classroom focused on the Middle Ages."
Organizers are hoping to draw 150,000 visitors a year to the castle - in the first month they welcomed about a thousand people, but hard work at public relations is getting them extensive media attention. Noémi Brunet, Marketing and Public Relations manager for the Ozark Medieval Fortress, tells Medievalists.net "We are socializing like mad on Twitter and Facebook. In 6 months we had 70 000 visitors on our website."
It is still too early to tell if this medieval castle will be a financial success, but for everyone involved, it should be a memorable experience.
Videos:
Links
Ozark Medieval Fortress website
Their Facebook page and Twitter feed
Frenchman Builds a Dream Château on a Grand Estate in the Ozarks - Wall Street Journal article
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- France: A Medieval Castle In The Making
The construction of Guédelon about 100 miles southeast of Paris has already been underway for 15 years, yet workers are proud about how long it?s taking. That?s because you don?t build a medieval castle in a day using 13th-century techniques only. The...
- Ozark Medieval Fortress Closed This Year
Remember the Ozark Medieval Fortress? It drew huge attention, from the New York Times on down, after French investors purchased property in Boone County, between Lead Hill and Omaha, to recreate a medieval fortress using authentic construction methods,...
- In The Heart Of The Ozarks, A Team Builds A Castle Using Medieval Methods
For many of us, the mark of a productive day is the number of items checked off in our day planners. The more we can get done in a short period of time, the better. That is not the case at the Ozark Medieval Fortress in Lead Hill, Ark. Builders broke...
- Motte And Bailey Castle In England To Go On Sale At Auction
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Medieval History
Medieval Castle begins to emerge in America's heartland
The creation is the brainchild of Michel Guyot - after restoring four castles decided that he wanted to recreate his own 13th century style fortress. He started building Guédelon Castle in Burgundy, France in 1997 - it is due to be completed sometime in the 2020s.
Another opportunity presented itself in 2008 when a retired French couple, Solange and Jean-Marc Mirat, decided to offer Guyot some of their land in northern Arkansas town of Lead Hill. After raising $1.5 million in investments, Guyot bought the 50-acre property and started construction.
The Ozark Medieval Fortress aims to be a full-sized, fortified castle, with 45 foot high towers, a drawbridge, and 6 foot wide stone walls surrounding an expansive inner courtyard, using the materials, techniques, and rules of the 13th century. Thirty masons, carpenters and stone carvers authentically dressed, plan to work year-round for twenty years before the project is complete.
Like the Guédelon Castle project, the organizers believe that the castle will be a fascinating educational opportunity for students, offering what they call an "open air classroom focused on the Middle Ages."
Organizers are hoping to draw 150,000 visitors a year to the castle - in the first month they welcomed about a thousand people, but hard work at public relations is getting them extensive media attention. Noémi Brunet, Marketing and Public Relations manager for the Ozark Medieval Fortress, tells Medievalists.net "We are socializing like mad on Twitter and Facebook. In 6 months we had 70 000 visitors on our website."
It is still too early to tell if this medieval castle will be a financial success, but for everyone involved, it should be a memorable experience.
If everything goes to plan, this is how the castle will look like in 2030
Videos:
Links
Ozark Medieval Fortress website
Their Facebook page and Twitter feed
Frenchman Builds a Dream Château on a Grand Estate in the Ozarks - Wall Street Journal article
Medieval castle expected to boost Arkansas tourism - USA Today article
Experience the Middle Ages at a Fortress Being Built in Arkansas - NPR article
Breaking Old Ground - from Walrus Magazine, about the French castle
Source: Ozark Medieval Fortress
Source: Ozark Medieval Fortress
- Castle For Sale: Fortress Of Miolans, Savoy
This impressive medieval castle is located in the heart of the Savoy Valley, and is situated on a strategic site 200 meters (550 feet) above the hamlet of Miolans, which part of the small town of St-Pierre Albigny in eastern France. The site has been...
- France: A Medieval Castle In The Making
The construction of Guédelon about 100 miles southeast of Paris has already been underway for 15 years, yet workers are proud about how long it?s taking. That?s because you don?t build a medieval castle in a day using 13th-century techniques only. The...
- Ozark Medieval Fortress Closed This Year
Remember the Ozark Medieval Fortress? It drew huge attention, from the New York Times on down, after French investors purchased property in Boone County, between Lead Hill and Omaha, to recreate a medieval fortress using authentic construction methods,...
- In The Heart Of The Ozarks, A Team Builds A Castle Using Medieval Methods
For many of us, the mark of a productive day is the number of items checked off in our day planners. The more we can get done in a short period of time, the better. That is not the case at the Ozark Medieval Fortress in Lead Hill, Ark. Builders broke...
- Motte And Bailey Castle In England To Go On Sale At Auction
The remains of a Norman motte and bailey castle will be sold at auction next month, and is expected to fetch between £25,000 and £30,000. Driffield Castle on Moot Hill, located in East Yorkshire, sits on a private property of just over two acres near...