For nearly five centuries, castles were at the heart of a society based on ties of vassalage, bringing together political, administrative, judicial and economic functions in addition to defending a territory.
This film traces the golden age of castles through the construction of the castle of Guédelon, 3D modeling and the meticulous reconstruction of the life of a seigniorial family in the twelfth or thirteenth century.

The castle is undoubtedly the emblematic monument of the thousand years of history that constitute what we generally call the "Middle Ages". Between the 10th and the end of the 15th century, countless fortified castles were built throughout Europe for the greater glory of the nobility... For nearly five centuries, these exceptional buildings were at the heart of a society based on ties of vassalage, regrouping political, administrative, judicial and economic functions in addition to defending a territory. But their golden age really came in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries! Castles improved and took on their typical form. The walls grew taller and thicker to withstand attacks by war machines such as catapults. The architects added corner towers that left no blind spots and allowed for better defence. At the end of the 12th century, loopholes, or arrowslits, appeared in the walls to facilitate the firing of crossbows. In general, stone replaced wood, except in some parts of the external defences. Less useful as a defence, the dungeon remained a symbol of power. The lord and his family lived in another, more comfortable area, always located within the walls of the castle. It was in the thirteenth century that the castle became equipped with a second enclosure around the lower courtyard. Turrets were built to eradicate blind spots. A walkway was built around the top of the walls and wooden hoardings were replaced by stone machicoulis. The castle was in constant evolution and its construction required the invention, or the rediscovery, of important pieces of machinery (cranes, mechanical saws, hoists ... etc)
This film recalls the golden age of the castles through the construction of the castle of Guédelon and the meticulous reconstruction of the life of a seigneurial family in the twelfth or thirteenth century.