Beersel Castle
50°45′57″N 4°18′00″E / 50.7657°N 4.2999°E / 50.7657; 4.2999
Modern castle: 1357
Restored: 1491–1508, 1617, 1928–39
Beersel Castle (Dutch: Kasteel van Beersel; French: Château de Beersel) is a medieval castle located in Beersel, Flemish Brabant, Belgium. Originating in 1300 under the auspices of the Duchy of Brabant, the water castle's present configuration dates to 1357. It was twice sacked and was subject to significant restorations in 1491 and 1617. Its present condition owes much to a major restoration in 1928–39. Built largely of brick, a rare material for such buildings at the time, around a circular enceinte, its major feature is its three large towers. Nowadays, it is open to the public and is considered one of Belgium's best-preserved castles.
History
Construction and history
Beersel was located at the frontier of the Duchy of Brabant within the County of Hainaut, south-west of Brabant's principal city of Brussels and near Halle. A fortified residence at the site was attested as early as 1292. In 1300, however, Godefroid of Hellebeke, the first known Seigneur of Beersel, received permission from Jean II, Duke of Brabant, to build a fortification on the present site near his residence. It became one of several Brabantine fortifications in the area, including Gaasbeek Castle. In 1356, during the War of the Brabant Succession (1356–57), the original castle was besieged by soldiers from the County of Flanders, led by Louis of Male, who captured and sacked it.
Beersel Castle was rebuilt from 1357 with a circular enceinte. It had three large and one small tower. During the 14th century, ownership of the castle passed to the Seigneurs of Wittem (Witthem). Henry III of Wittem supported Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I during the revolts of 1483–1492, placing him at odds with Brussels, which supported the rebellion. Beersel Castle was besieged by Brussels militias twice in 1488 and 1489. During the second siege, the castle was attacked with cannons provided to the rebels by Louis XI of France and fell after several days, sustaining significant damage especially at its southern side.
After the defeat of Brussels, ownership of the Castle of Beersel was returned to the Seigneur of Wittem. Maximilian ordered the Brussels to restore to the castle at the city's own expense. This restoration, begun in 1491, converted the three main towers to accommodate cannons. However, the military obsolescence of castles meant that Beersel became a private residence in the 16th century, losing its military function. In 1581–1606, the Fathers of Zevenborren [fr] took up residence in the castle and restoration in 1617 added tiled roofs to the towers and ramparts.
In 1796, the castle became unoccupied and began to deteriorate. In 1818, a cotton factory was created at the site. The property passed through a series of Belgian noble families over the following years and fell into ruin. The French poet and writer Victor Hugo visited in 1877 and wrote a verse about the castle.
- Beersel Castle depicted after the 1617 restoration by Jacobus Harrewijn in Castella et prætoria nobilium brabantiæ (1696)
- The castle depicted by Paul Vitzthum, son of an Austrian court composer, in 1787
- The castle's ruins depicted in Collection des principales vues des Pays-Bas (1823–24)
- The castle's northern tower, depicted by the Illustration européenne in 1872
Restoration
In 1928, the derelict castle was donated by the House of Merode to an association known as the League of Friends of Beersel Castle (Ligue des Amis du Château de Beersel). A significant period of restoration began in 1928 and concluded in 1939, which restored the three towers and some of the ramparts to their post-1617 appearance. The residential building and the eastern face of the castle had nonetheless deteriorated significantly and were not included in the restoration. Only the foundations of the building now remain.
The castle was added to the list of scheduled historical monuments in 1934. Since 1948, it has been the property of the Royal Association of Historic Residences and Gardens in Belgium (Koninklijke Vereniging der Historische Woonsteden en Tuinen van België), which has leased it to the municipal authorities of Beersel.[citation needed]
The castle is open to the public, and was subject to a government-supported restoration project between 2008 and 2012.[1] It is located near to the E19 motorway and adjacent to the Line 26 railway, whose raised bank passes close to the castle's southern and eastern sides.
- View of the northern gatehouse
- View of the eastern side
- Internal view of the gatehouse (right) and western tower (left)
- Aerial view from the south
In popular culture
Beersel is considered one of Belgium's best-preserved castles and has appeared in popular culture. It was the subject of a Victor Hugo poem in 1877. It also features prominently in the 1954 comic book De schat van Beersel [nl] by Willy Vandersteen which forms part of his Spike and Suzy (Suske en Wiske) series.
In the video game Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, the unique castle architecture of the Burgundian civilisation is based on Beersel Castle.
See also
References
- ^ Vanhassel, Geert (14 August 2017). "2,6 miljoen euro voor derde fase restauratie Kasteel van Beersel". Ring TV. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
Further reading
- De Waha, Michel (2000). "Les traces du bombardement de Beersel en 1489". Château Gaillard: Études de castellologie médiévale. 19: 305–13.
- Doperé, Frans; Casaer, Hugo (2002). "Het kasteel van Beersel, Evolutie van de middeleeuwse burcht als woning en als versterking". In De Vos, Luc; et al. (eds.). Burchten en forten en andere versterkingen in Vlaanderen. Leuven: Davidsfonds. pp. 80–86. ISBN 9058261956.
External links
- Website of the Koninklijke Vereniging der Historische Woonsteden en Tuinen van België: Kasteel van Beersel (in Dutch)
- Het Kasteel van Beersel: middeleeuws tot en met (in Dutch)
- [1] The castle on a 1951 stamp
- v
- t
- e
- Abée Castle
- Acoz Castle
- Alden Biesen Castle
- Chateau des Amerois
- Annevoie Castle
- Antoing Castle
- Château d'Anvaing
- Château royal d'Ardenne
- Ardooie Castle
- Kasteel van Arenberg
- Aspremont-Lynden Castle
- Attre Castle
- Beauvoorde Castle
- Beersel Castle
- Château de Belœil
- Belvédère Castle
- La Berlière Castle
- Château de Beurthé
- Château Bilquin de Cartier
- Binche Palace
- Blanmont Castle
- Boelare Castle
- Château de Bois-Seigneur-Isaac
- Bolland Castle
- Bonlez Castle
- Bonneville Castle
- Bornem Castle
- Borrekens Castle
- Bossenstein Castle
- Bouchout Castle
- Château de Bouillon
- Braine Castle
- Château des Cailloux
- Chimay Castle
- Royal Castle of Ciergnon
- Cleydael Castle
- Château de Corroy-le-Château
- Couwelaar Castle
- Crèvecœur Castle
- Crupet Castle
- Dave Castle
- Deulin Castle
- Diepenbeek Castle
- Donnea Castle
- Château de Duras
- Écaussinnes-Lalaing Castle
- Elewijt Castle
- Castle of l'Estriverie
- Fagnolle Castle
- Falaën Castle
- La Falize Castle
- Château de Fallais
- Falnuée Castle
- Fanson Castle
- Farciennes Castle
- Faulx-les-Tombes Castle
- Fernelmont Castle
- Château de Flawinne
- Florennes Castle
- Château de Fontaine
- Fontaine-l'Évêque Castle
- Fosteau Castle
- Château de La Fougeraie
- Franc-Waret Castle
- Franchimont Castle
- Castle of Freÿr
- Gaasbeek Castle
- Geeraard de Duivelsteen
- Gors Castle
- Gravensteen
- Groot-Bijgaarden Castle
- Guirsch Castle
- Ham-sur-Heure Castle
- Hamal Castle
- Harzé Castle
- Hasselbrouck Castle
- Haultepenne Castle
- Hauteroche Castle
- Haversin Castle
- Havré Castle
- Heers Castle
- Hélécine Castle
- Hex Castle
- Houtain-le-Val Castle
- Ingelmunster Castle
- Jannée Castle
- Jehay-Bodegnée Castle
- Jemeppe Castle
- Kruishoutem Castle
- Karreveld Castle
- Kasteel van Laarne
- Kasteel Lagendal
- Landwijk Castle
- Lassus Castle
- Laval Castle
- Château de Lavaux-Sainte-Anne
- Kasteel van Leeuwergem
- Leignon castle
- Limont Castle
- Loppem Castle
- Male Castle
- Château Malou
- Meylandt Castle
- Château Miranda
- Mirwart Castle
- Château de Modave
- Montaigle Castle
- Montquintin Castle
- Morialmé Castle
- Nieuwerkerken Castle
- Nokere Castle
- Ommerstein Castle
- Ooidonk Castle
- Oostkerke Castle
- Opprebais Castle
- Ouren Castle
- Kasteel van Poeke
- Rameyen Castle
- Ravenhof Castle (Torhout)
- Reinhardstein Castle
- Renesse Castle
- Reuland Castle
- Reijvissche Castle
- Rivieren Castle (Ganshoren)
- La Roche-en-Ardenne Castle
- Le Rœulx Castle
- Château-ferme de Roly
- Château Rose
- Château Rouge
- La Royère Castle
- Royseux Castle
- Rullingen Castle
- Rumbeke Castle
- Château-ferme de Samart
- Sars-la-Bruyère Castle
- Sart-Eustache Castle
- Château de Seneffe
- Solre-sur-Sambre Castle
- Solvay Castle
- Sombreffe Castle
- Sorghvliedt Castle
- Spanjaardenkasteel
- Spiere Castle
- Spontin Castle
- Het Steen
- Sterckshof
- Château du Stuyvenberg
- Tavigny Castle
- Templeuve Castle
- Ter Leyen Castle
- Thoricourt Castle
- Thuillies Castle
- Castle of Thy-le-Château
- Tielen Castle
- Tillegem Castle
- Tornaco Castle
- Trazegnies Castle
- D'Ursel Castle
- Château of Val-Duchesse
- Château de Vêves
- La Vicomté Castle
- Vierset Castle
- Vierves-sur-Viroin Castle
- Villers-sur-Semois Castle
- De Viron Castle
- Vogelsanck Castle
- Vonêche Castle
- Castle of Waha
- Walberg Castle
- Waleffe Castle
- Walzin Castle
- Castle of Warfusée
- Waroux Castle
- Wégimont Castle
- Castle of Westerlo
- Westmalle Castle
- Kasteel van Wijnendale
- Wissekerke Castle
- Château de Wodémont
- Zeebroeck Castle
- Zétrud-Lumay Castle