Egmont Castle or the Castle of (Lamoral count of) Egmont (Dutch: Egmontkasteel or Kasteel van Egmont) is a castle in Zottegem, Belgium. It has been declared a cultural heritage monument. [1] [2]
Egmont Castle or the Castle of (Lamoral count of) Egmont (Dutch: Egmontkasteel or Kasteel van Egmont) is a castle in Zottegem, Belgium. It has been declared a cultural heritage monument. [1] [2]
The history of the castle goes back to the 11th century, when a motte-and-bailey castle was supposedly constructed by the rulers of Zottegem (the first one being mentioned in a charter (1083) was Rothardus). Around 1150, a stone keep was built and also a Romanesque aisleless church with a churchyard around it. The remains of that church were excavated in 1994. [3] At the end of the 12th century, the big hall was rebuilt in brick by Walter II.
Over the centuries, the castle became the possession of different ruling families: the House of Antoing and the House of Melun (13th and 14th centuries), the House of Luxembourg-Fiennes (15th century). During the Revolt of Ghent, the castle was taken in 1381. In 1452, the castle was besieged during another Revolt of Ghent. Around 1477, the castle was dismantled and rebuilt. On 19 May 1516, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor visited the castle.
From 1530 until 1707, the castle belonged to the House of Egmont, who started rebuilding the ancient castle into a luxury mansion. Lamoral, Count of Egmont inherited the castle from his brother in 1541. He had the Knights' Room (Ridderzaal) refurbished with a Renaissance oriel window and floor tiling from Antwerp. [4] [5] In September 1566, Lamoral moved from the Egmont Palace in Brussels to the castle; [6] on 7 September 1566, he wrote a letter to William of Orange from the castle. [7] [8]
After Lamoral's beheading in 1568 on the Grand-Place/Grote Markt of Brussels, the castle was confiscated by the Spanish until 1577. During the Eighty Years' War, the castle was damaged several times (in 1570, 1579 and 1580). In 1645 and 1658, the castle suffered from French troops, as in 1671 and 1684 during the War of the Spanish Succession. French troops stayed in the castle during the Nine Years' War in 1690 and 1697. [9] [10]
Starting from 1707, the castle was acquired by a branch of the House of Pignatelli. Marie Claire of Egmont (1661-1714), the sister of the last male heir of Lamoral, count of Egmont was married to Niccolo Pignatelli. [11] After 1747, parts of the castle were demolished. In 1797, the castle was confiscated by the French. In 1815, it was sold to Baron Lefèbvre from Tournai. He divided the castle into two parts. In 1867, a neo-Renaissance facade was erected.
In 1957 and 1965, the city of Zottegem bought the two parts of the castle, which was used afterwards as a hospital, a school and art gallery. Since 1982, the castle has housed the local library, for which a new building was added to the castle in 1986. Between 1994 and 1997, the castle was restored. The Knights' Room has been used for wedding ceremonies, concerts and conferences ever since. In 2022, a new restoration campaign started.
In the surrounding Egmont Park, archaeological remains of the former church, castle walls, moats and (draw)bridge can be seen. The wrought iron Statue of Egmont (1872) by sculptor Jan-Robert Calloigne also stands in the park.
Zottegem is a city and municipality located in Belgium and more particularly in Flanders, in the province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Zottegem proper and the villages of Elene, Erwetegem, Godveerdegem, Grotenberge, Leeuwergem, Oombergen, Sint-Goriks-Oudenhove, Sint-Maria-Oudenhove, Strijpen and Velzeke-Ruddershove. On 1 January 2018, Zottegem had a total population of 26,373. The total area is 56.66 km2 which gives a population density of 470 inhabitants per km2.
Lamoral, Count of Egmont, Prince of Gavere was a general and statesman in the Spanish Netherlands just before the start of the Eighty Years' War, whose execution helped spark the national uprising that eventually led to the independence of the Netherlands.
Philip de Montmorency, also known as Count of Horn, Horne, Hoorne or Hoorn, was a victim of the Inquisition in the Spanish Netherlands.
The House of Egmond or Egmont is named after the Dutch town of Egmond, province of North Holland, and played an important role in the Netherlands during the Middle Ages and the Early modern period. The main lines Egmond-Geldern, Egmond-Gavere and Egmond-Buren-Leerdam had high noble, princely rank.
The Egmont Palace, also sometimes known as the Arenberg Palace, is a neoclassical palace in Brussels, Belgium. It was originally built between 1548 and 1560 for Countess Françoise of Luxembourg and Count Lamoral of Egmont, though its appearance was heavily modified in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was partly destroyed by fire in 1892, after which it was once again reconstructed. Nowadays, it is used by the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for receptions, as a guest house and conference centre.
Gaasbeek Castle is a castle located in Lennik, Flemish Brabant in Belgium. Nowadays, it serves as a national museum.
Anna van Egmont, mainly known as Anna van Buren, was a Dutch heiress who became the first wife of William the Silent, Prince of Orange.
Aarsele is a village in the Belgian province of West Flanders and a subdivision of the city of Tielt.
The Free or high Lordship of Purmerend and Purmerland and after 1618 Purmerland and Ilpendam was a type of local jurisdiction with many rights.
Lamoral is a given name mostly known from the noble houses of Egmond, Ligne and Taxis. The Dutch form is Lamoraal. The first known person by the name, Lamoral, Count of Egmont (1522–1568) was since the 17th-century also known as Amurath, perhaps leading to the hypothesis that the name derived via French from the Ottoman sultan's name Amurath. Alternatively, his name may be derived from French "L'Admiral", as has been recorded for another person with the name and as Egmont was sometimes referred to in his lifetime.
People named Lamoral or Lamoraal include:
Leeuwergem Castle is a stately home in the village of Elene in the municipality of Zottegem, East Flanders, Belgium.
Egmond Castle, also called the Ruins of Egmond, is a ruined medieval castle in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is located in Egmond aan den Hoef in the municipality of Bergen and lies about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of Alkmaar. The castle dates from the 11th century and is the ancestral seat of the Egmond family, whose members became sovereign Dukes of Guelders, Counts of Egmond and Princes of Gavere, Counts of Buren and Leerdam. It is a national monument of the Netherlands.
The Château de Lahamaide was a castle in Lahamaide in Hainaut, located in the municipality of Ellezelles, Belgium. It was the place of birth of Lamoral, Count of Egmont. Nowadays the stables only remain.
The Château de Braine was a château in Braine, Aisne, Picardy, France. It served as a country home for the counts of Egmont-Pignatteli, and its gardens were designed by André Le Nôtre.
Louis Philip of Egmont was 9th Count of Egmont, 6th Prince of Gavere and Lord of Zottegem.
The Egmont Museum is a museum about Lamoral, Count of Egmont in the former Town Hall of Zottegem, Belgium.
Egmont's crypt is a crypt on the market square in Zottegem, Belgium. The crypt contains the remains of Lamoral, Count of Egmont and his wife Sabina, Duchess of Bavaria.
The Statue of Egmont is a statue of Lamoral, Count of Egmont in Zottegem, Belgium, dating from 1872.
Other palaces and castle of the Egmond family:
