Perhaps the greatest castle builder of all time was a man named Jacques who lived in Europe during the Middle Ages. Very little is known about him--not even the date he was born or died--for he was a common man. But because he built uncommon castles, he left an important mark on the world. 

Born sometime between the years 1230 and 1235, Jacques--or James as he has come to be known in English--came from the Savoy region of medieval Europe. His father, John, was a noted master-mason; that is, he was the architect and engineer who designed and supervised the construction of official buildings. James, most likely apprenticed to his father around the age of 15, became a master-mason as well. Together, they formed a renowned father-and-son team, whose greatest recognition came when they were hired by the Peter II, Count of Savoy, to build a castle at Yverdon, now a city in Switzerland. John was in charge; James would assist him. 

Begun in 1260, the castle was essentially square with an inner ward or courtyard inside the castle walls; a drum (or rounded) tower stood at each corner. Because the southeast tower was also designed to be the keep, it was taller than the other towers, standing about 120 feet high. But the keep's most important feature was its separation from the castle: it could be reached only by a small drawbridge--almost 50 feet above the ground--that connected to the southern wall. If invaders successfully stormed the castle, defenders would be able to take refuge in the tower, lift the drawbridge, and survive a siege on well water and stores of goods found there. It was a clever, sturdy plan for a military castle. 

Sometime between the years 1265-1267, John's name disappeared from the payroll records. He may have taken ill or died, but historians cannot find any record of his life after this point; all they know is that James alone was charged with finishing the castle. As he did, he was given more and more work to do. Peter II, for example, asked him to design and build other castles in the Savoy. And when Count Philip succeeded Peter II in 1268, he ordered James to build a new and very special castle at St. Georges d'Espéranche (now in France). 

James began the castle at St. Georges almost immediately and appears, at first glance, to have followed the plan of Yverdon Castle exactly. The window designs were the same, and even the widths of the two castles were within three inches of each other. But Count Philip wanted this castle to be a pleasure palace for entertaining his friends, not a fortress for fighting wars. To deliver such a palace, James substituted more majestic octagonal towers for Yverdon’s rounded ones, eliminated the tower keep altogether, and designed a garden for part of the outer ward. He even added what must have been a magnificent water-filled moat, perhaps 55-feet wide and up to 18-feet deep, surrounding the castle. 

Because the castle was his best accomplishment to date and because he chose to live there himself, James even took his name from the castle: James of St. Georges.