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On the territory of the municipality of Westerlo (Westerloo, using the old spelling) there are several castles.
| | This article needs additional citations for verification .(June 2022) |
On the territory of the municipality of Westerlo (Westerloo, using the old spelling) there are several castles.
Locals call it "Oud Kasteel" (Old Castle) ( 51°05′02″N4°55′02″E / 51.08399°N 4.917347°E ) to discern it from the new castle built for Jeanne de Merode in 1910-12 (see below). The castle has been the home of the House of Merode for more than five centuries. The central keep or Donjon has walls of more than 2 m thick. I was built by the lords of Wesemael in local brown stone in the late 14th century. It probably replaced an older fortress on the same spot. Other parts of the building are believed to date from the 15th and 16th century. The castle was adapted, extended and renovated several times. From the 16th century onwards it was transformed into a more luxurious noble dwelling and gradually lost its fortified character. Several restorations in the 19th century gave it back a more 'romantic' medieval appearance.
The sumptuous interiors contain fine furniture, paintings, tapestries, Córdoba leather wall hangings and objects collected by the Merode family throughout the centuries. The most important rooms like the entrance hall, the "ridderzaal" (knight's hall), the large drawing room, the dining room and the chapel can be visited during the 'Kasteelfeesten' in the first weekend of July.
An English landscape park of 12 hectares surrounds the castle. The ponds in the park are connected with the moat of the castle. Across the Nete river there is a larger formal park (60 hectares) in the French tradition with a rectangular pond forming a large perspective. It was commissioned by Fieldmarshall Jean-Philippe-Eugène de Mérode-Westerloo at the beginning of the 18th century and was inspired by Versailles.
Locals call it "Nieuw Kasteel" (New Castle) ( 51°05′25″N4°54′44″E / 51.090245°N 4.912321°E ). It was built between 1909 and 1912 in a neogothic style by architect Pierre Langerock as the residence of one person, Countess Jeanne de Mérode. Jeanne de Mérode was born in Paris in 1853 as a daughter of Charles-Antoine Ghislain de Mérode-Westerloo, Marquess of Westerlo and Princess Marie-Nicolette d'Arenberg. She remained unmarried and devoted her life to religion and charitable works. To provide employment for the population of Westerlo (especially for young girls and women), she founded a carpet factory in Westerlo. She also financed a church, a school and a monastery in Heultje, and a home for the elderly in Westerlo. She lived with her parents and siblings in the 'old castle' until the death of her brother, Count Henri de Mérode, in 1908. At that time, she decided to move out. She planned to reside in the castle of Grimbergen, which she had inherited from her father. As she was very popular with the local population, the people of Westerlo begged her to stay in the region.
From 1909 onwards, the vast castle was constructed hardly a kilometre away from her paternal residence. The architecture of the facades was inspired by the early 16th-century late Gothic wing of the nearby abbey of Tongerlo. A more aristocratic appearance was achieved by adding four small and one large tower, as well as a bell tower in the form of a crown. Although both interior and exterior were executed in a historical style, the building contained many modern features that were very rare on the countryside at the beginning of the 20th century. The cross-beams supporting the roof were in steel, and the building had electric lighting, an electric elevator, central heating, running water, WCs and bathrooms.
As Jeanne de Mérode was very devout, the Castle also had its own private chapel. On the altar she kept her most important treasure, the famous Mérode Altarpiece by the 15th century painter Robert Campin. After her death, it was acquired from her heirs by the Metropolitan Museum in New York for the Cloisters collection.
When German troops invaded Belgium in 1940 the castle was confiscated and used as a local headquarters by the Nazis. Countess Jeanne moved back to the 'old castle' of Westerlo where she died on 1 July 1944, a few months before the liberation of Belgium. She left the castle to a monastic order of sisters. The building was used by the church as a home for retired priests until it was sold to the municipality of Westerlo in the 1970s. It has served as the Town Hall of Westerlo ever since.
In nearby Tongerlo built during and after the First World War by a noble family. Now owned by the noble de Meeûs d'Argenteuil family. The name of the castle is now Castle de Meeûs d'Argenteuil.
Built in the 1920s by a wealthy family of notaries and local administrators.
Oostkamp is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the villages of Hertsberge, Oostkamp proper, Ruddervoorde and Waardamme. On January 1, 2019, Oostkamp had a total population of 23,698. The total area is 79.65 km² which gives a population density of 289 inhabitants per km².
Westerlo is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises seven towns:
Kortenberg is a Belgian municipality located in the province of Flemish Brabant, about halfway between the cities of Brussels and Leuven. The municipality comprises the subdivisions or deelgemeenten of Erps-Kwerps, Everberg, Kortenberg proper and Meerbeek. On 1 January 2013 Kortenberg had a total population of 19,393. The total area is 34.52 km2 which gives a population density of about 562 inhabitants per km2. In the southern part of Everberg there is also a hamlet called Vrebos, while between Erps-Kwerps and Meerbeek there is another hamlet called Schoonaarde, which can be found in the proximity of the train station of Erps-Kwerps.
Arenberg Castle is a Flemish Renaissance style château in Heverlee, close to Leuven, Belgium. It is surrounded by a park.
The Sparta Stadion, nicknamed Het Kasteel is a football stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands. It is the home ground of Sparta Rotterdam. It has a capacity of 11,026.
Beersel Castle 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. Today, it is open to the public and is considered one of Belgium's best-preserved castles.
Tongerlo Abbey is a Premonstratensian monastery at Tongerlo in Westerlo near Antwerp, Belgium.
The Belgian nobility comprises Belgian individuals or families recognized as noble with or without a title of nobility in the Kingdom of Belgium. The Belgian constitution states that no specific privileges are attached to the nobility.
The House of Merode is one of the most prominent families of the Belgian nobility. It originates from the village of Merode, which is now in the municipality of Langerwehe in Germany. Over the past five centuries, different branches bore noble titles and had estates on the territories of the modern-day states of Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Austria. Through marriage, the house is connected with many prominent European noble families. The House of Merode played an important role in the history of the Southern Netherlands and the Kingdom of Belgium.
Wijnendale Castle is a historic residence in Wijnendale, West Flanders in Belgium which was once a medieval castle. The present buildings largely date to a nineteenth century restoration, though parts of the north wing still date to the fifteenth century. One wing is currently inhabited by the present owners of the castle, while another is open to the public as a museum.
Jean-Philippe-Eugène, Count de Mérode, 5th Marquess of Westerloo was a Belgian soldier and Feldmarschall of the Holy Roman Empire and a prominent member of the House of Merode. In Flemish and Dutch sources, he is known as Jan Filip van Merode-Westerloo.
Everberg is a town in the Belgian province Flemish Brabant and is part of the municipality of Kortenberg. The territory covers an area of 925 ha. The neighbouring towns or municipalities are Leefdaal, Kortenberg, Erps-Kwerps, Meerbeek, Sterrebeek, Moorsel and Tervuren. A small hamlet, called Vrebos, can also be found in Everberg.
The House of Ursel is the name of an old Belgian noble family of German origin. The Head of the House is styled as Duke of Ursel, while other members are styled as Count/Countess of Ursel.
The de Meeûs family, formerly Meeûs, is a bourgeois of Brussels family that was ennobled by Leopold I.
Bornem Castle, also known as the Marnix de Sainte-Aldegonde Castle, is a country house, formerly a castle, located in Bornem, province of Antwerp, Belgium. Bornem Castle is situated at an elevation of 1 meters.
Countess Louise de Mérode was a member of the House of Merode by birth and Princess della Cisterna by marriage.
The Lords of Westerlo were the feudal lords of the fiefdom of Westerlo until the abolition of feudalism in 1795. The first known Lord of Westerlo was the Frankish nobleman Ansfried of Utrecht who gave this domain as allodial title to the chapters of Saint-Martin and Saint-Salvator in Utrecht after he became Bishop of Utrecht in 995. Since the late 15th century the Lords of Westerlo have been members of the House of Merode. In 1626 Westerlo was elevated to the rank of marquessate by King Philip IV of Spain in favor of Philippe I de Merode who became the first Marquess of Westerlo. The chief of the House of Merode stil bears the title of Marquess of Westerlo although the feudal rights attached to this title have been abolished since 1795. In the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century the 10th, 11th and 12th Marquess have been elected Burgomaster of Westerlo.
Count Henri Marie Ghislain de Merode (1782–1847) was a member of the Belgian Senate and writer.
Tongerlo is a village and deelgemeente (sub-municipality) of the municipality of Westerlo in the province of Antwerp, Belgium. The village is located about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south-east of the city of Herentals. Tongerlo is best known for Tongerlo Abbey founded in 1128 which became one of the most important abbeys of Belgium.
