In their concern for a highly realistic reconstitution of a medieval castle, the designers of Guédelon went so far as to reproduce an instrument of torture particularly popular at the time: the pillory. It consisted of an assembly of boards pierced with a central opening for the head, fastened with a yoke to pass through, and two side openings for the hands. Whether it took the form of a post (photo) or a rotating device, it was used as a punitive ritual in the form of torture during which the condemned who had committed infamies were exposed to hatred and public contempt.