![]() ![]() They're not promising that every stitch and blow in the construction of this place is historically perfect. Therefore in actual practice, fortresses aren't always built on hilltops. It's also very important when withstanding a siege to have a source of water within the castle walls, especially a spring, and hilltops are unlikely places to find springs. Just like today, shipping costs figure into the price of the structure. It's also desirable to have a quarry nearby. ![]() While it is desirable to occupy the highest possible ground, it is also desirable to have a firm foundation, so a castle will be built where the bedrock is near the surface. He told me that the image of the castle on the hilltop is largely the picturesque product of storybooks. So I asked the guy why this castle was being built on the side of the hill rather than the strategically important high ground, which is occupied by the gift shop. The lady at the cash register described it best as "archaeology in reverse." This is not a fantasyland Renaissance fair and it's not an amusement park. The point is, for the price of admission ($12 adult, $8 teens and 'tweens, free to tykes under six) you get to talk to people who know what they're talking about, and you don't get that every day. The very high gothic arches with their complex vaults diffuse the sound, and all the extra glass in gothic walls is bad for acoustics as well. Turns out the simpler, lower, barrel-shaped vaulting of the romanesque ceilings are better at concentrating sound. This is the chief stonecutter at the site, and he sat and talked to me for over an hour not only about the construction of castle walls, but also discussing the acoustic advantages of romanesque architecture over gothic. Although not exactly historical reenactors in the mold of Old Williamsburg, the craftspeople do dress authentically (except for the safety glasses and steel-toed boots, insurance requirements) and use tools and techniques true to the period. ![]() Each stonecutter, blacksmith, potter, ropemaker and carpenter is using medieval tools and techniques to erect this fortress. That's 16 miles north of Harrison or 46 miles east of Eureka Springs or 24 miles south of Branson. A group of some thirty artisans, historians and architects are building a historically authentic French castle on a tract of land along highway 14 between Lead Hill and Omaha. Come see it." That's the understated advertising slogan from the coffee mug I bought in the gift shop, and it tells you pretty much what you need to know about the Ozark Medieval Fortress. Ozark Medieval Fortress OZARK MEDIEVAL FORTRESS ![]()
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