Michel Guyot's project to build a fortified castle in Guédelon was inspired by a visit to the Hermione shipyard in Rochefort (Charente-Maritime), as well as by discussions with specialists in the Middle Ages at the time of the restoration of his castle of Saint-Fargeau. The Hermione project (1993-2014) consisted in reconstructing the most faithful possible replica of the 18th-century eponymous frigate that, commanded by the Marquis de La Fayette, contributed to the victory of General Washington's troops against the British during the American Revolutionary War. The Hermione shipyard was partly self-financed thanks to the entrances of the public watching the construction live. The new frigate sailed in April 2015 to cross the Atlantic and follow the coast of the United States in the footsteps of La Fayette. The differences between the construction sites of Guédelon and Hermione are, however, significant: Guédelon does not aim to remake identically a castle of the Middle Ages which has actually existed, the tools used are not modern, and the project conveys a scientific aim of experimental archaeology.