Belgian Castles

It is almost a week ago I wrote a blogpost!! Time goes by!!

As a continuation of my last post ”If I had a Château…” I would love to treat you with some pictures of Belgian castles. Belgium is a country of castles. We do have some wonderful castles, as national treasures or owned by private owners. These castles are all treasures of our rich historic and architectural heritage.

Today I will show only a few of them and I decided to post about some castles built or finished in the 18th century, because this century is my prefered architectural period. Posting about all of the different aged castles, would make this post too long!

I have posted earlier about Belgian castles on my blog HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

Let us take a look!

Castle of Annevoie

In 1718 Charles-Alexis de Montpellier bought the seigneury of Annevoie from Claude, viscount of Namur d’Elzée. On the site of the 15th century castle which had been restored in 1627, he built a comfortable neo-classical residence.

The reputation of Annevoie is based more on the 27 acres of park and gardens than on the house itself.

Photo source : www.trekearth.com

Photo source : www.panoramio.com

Photo source : http://fr.academic.ru

Photo source : wikipedia – Photo credit : Jean-Paul Grandmont

Photo source : http://travel.webshots.com

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Castle of Attre

The castle is built in 1752 by the Freneau family, Counts of Gommegnies and Lords of Attre. Leading from the road is a balustrade bridge flanked by two Tuscan columns. Between the two LXI pavilions lies a great lawn bordered with flowers, replacing the old paved courtyard in front of the main block. The wings on either side join the flanking pavilions in the classical manner.

Fine LXV furniture, ordered specially from Paris, in the principal sitting room.

Photo source : www.kto-to.de

Photo source : http://plfoto.com

Photo source : http://www.parc-jardins.be

Photo source : Publication “Castle of Belgium”, Georges-Henri Dumont

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Castle of Bois-Seigneur-Isaac

This castle was bought in 1712 by M. de Belhomme and finished off the destruction that weather and the centuries had begun and in 1722 built a new house on two sides of the original octagon.

Photo source : www.verzekeringsadvies.be/tools4events

Photo source : wikipedia – Photo credit : Jean-Pol Grandmont

Photo source : http://www.bois-seigneur-isaac.be

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Castle of Deulin

Since 1760, Deulin has always remained in the de Harlez family. The current owners, Chevalier Stéphane and his wife have set up their decorating studios and antique furniture restoration workshops in the tower and spacious buildings while several rooms in the house itself have become exhibition and sale rooms. This is a fine example of finding a new role for a mansion in today’s circomstances.

Discover the beautiful website of Château de Deulin HERE.

Photo source : www.ceremony.be

Photo source : http://knackweekend.rnews.be

Photo source : www.ftlb.be

Photo source : www.espacedeulin.be – Photo credit : Louis-Philippe Breydel

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Castle of Hingene

In 1767 Count Charles d’Ursel engaged an architect from Tournai, Antoine Payen the Older, to modernize and enlarge the 16th century castle. It took years to complete the castle in the late classical style.

Photo source : www.chateauxdebelgique.eu

Photo source : www.panoramio.com

Photo source : http://oliaklodvenitiens.wordpress.com

Photo source : you tube

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Castle of Ingelmunster

Standing before this castle, you are impressed by the equilibrium and tranquillity of this LXV castle.The central block is dated 1736. Not much remains of the mediaeval castle.

The rooms are ornamented in the rococo style, with stuccoes, marble chimneys and painted headpieces over the doors.

Photo source : wikipedia

Photo source : wikimedia

Photo source : Publication “Castles of Belgium”, Georges-Henri Dumont

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The Royal castle of Laeken

Official residence of the King of the Belgians.

The Castle of Laeken was built between 1782-1784 after the plans of the French architect Charles de Wailly under the supervision of Louis Montoyer as a summer residence for the Governors of the Habsburg Netherlands, Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria and her husband Albert of Saxe-Teschen.

On 21 July 1803, Nicolas-Jean Rouppe, as commissioner of the department of the Dijle, received Napoleon at the Castle of Laeken. Napoleon stayed here with his Empress in August 1804 on his way to awarding the first Légion d’honneur to his invasion troops at Boulogne to his progress along the Rhine, and later (on invading Belgium during the Hundred Days in 1815) dated this proclamation prematurely from the palace.

Leopold I, the first king of Belgium, arrived in 1831.

The castle was partly destroyed by a fire in 1890 and king of the Belgians Leopold II commissioned first Alphonse Balat and later also Charles Girault to enlarge the former country seat of the Governors-General of the Austrian Netherlands and turn it into a palatial residence.

The domain contains also the magnificent Royal Greenhouses of Laeken, a set of monumental dome -shaped constructions, in the Art Nouveau style, accessible to the public only a few days a year.