“Quarrymen, stonemasons, woodcutters, carpenters, blacksmiths, tile makers, basket makers, rope makers, carters and their horses – are all working together to complete the castle.” – Guedelon.fr
Deep in the French countryside, there is a group of tradesmen and women who have come together to do the unthinkable: they are using 13th century methods to build a castle. In Yonne, Burgundy, approximately fifty people have taken on the project, which started in 1997 and is expected to last at least another ten years from the present. Their director general, Maryline Martin, specifically states that it is the teamwork of the staff members that truly makes the project possible, saying “Guédelon is built on the strength of the castle’s foundations of course, but also on the strength of that team.”
Though the corporate event programs we offer only last a day or a portion thereof, not twenty-five years, they’re specially formulated to help the participants build something nearly as lasting as a castle: genuine connection, streamlined communication, and a deeper understanding of how to make their team function successfully when they’re back in a work environment.
