Castle of Belœil
Encyclopedia
The Château de Belœil or Château of Belœil is a château
situated in the municipality of Belœil in the province of Hainaut, Belgium
. Since the 14th century it has been the residence of the Prince de Ligne
. The château lies in the middle of a magnificent Baroque
garden designed in 1664. The château and gardens can be visited during spring and summer.
In the 17th and 18th centuries the fortified castle was adapted into a luxurious country house (château
) following the French example.
From 1664 onward the park, with its straight alleys, geometrical ponds and imposing perspectives was created. The typical "bosquet
s" - garden chambers enclosed by high hedges - were preserved in spite of the changing fashion in the 18th and 19th centuries when English landscape gardens
were preferred. A small landscape garden with a "ruin" was installed in the direct vicinity of the château by Charles Joseph, Prince de Ligne
.
The interiors were appointed with fine furniture and the art collections of the family. During the New Year's celebrations of 1900, disaster struck the castle when it burned down completely. Most of the furnishings, including the library of 20,000 rare volumes and the art collection, were saved. The castle was rebuilt in the following years by the French architect Ernest Sanson
, while the interiors were redecorated using pieces from the Ligne collection.
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
situated in the municipality of Belœil in the province of Hainaut, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Since the 14th century it has been the residence of the Prince de Ligne
House of Ligne
The House of Ligne is one of the oldest Belgian noble families, dating back to the eleventh century. It s name comes from the village in which it originated, between Ath and Tournai. The lords of Ligne belonged to the entourage of the Count of Hainaut at the time of the Crusades...
. The château lies in the middle of a magnificent Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
garden designed in 1664. The château and gardens can be visited during spring and summer.
History
Belœil came into the possession of the Ligne family in 1394. At the beginning of the 15th century the local castle was chosen as the principal residence of the family. The old castle was a fortified rectangular building with a moat surrounding it and had four round towers, one at each angle. This basic structure is still preserved, although the facades and interiors were greatly altered during the following centuries.In the 17th and 18th centuries the fortified castle was adapted into a luxurious country house (château
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
) following the French example.
From 1664 onward the park, with its straight alleys, geometrical ponds and imposing perspectives was created. The typical "bosquet
Bosquet
In the French formal garden, a bosquet is a formal plantation of trees, at least five of identical species planted as a quincunx, or set in strict regularity as to rank and file, so that the trunks line up as one passes along either face...
s" - garden chambers enclosed by high hedges - were preserved in spite of the changing fashion in the 18th and 19th centuries when English landscape gardens
English garden
The English garden, also called English landscape park , is a style of Landscape garden which emerged in England in the early 18th century, and spread across Europe, replacing the more formal, symmetrical Garden à la française of the 17th century as the principal gardening style of Europe. The...
were preferred. A small landscape garden with a "ruin" was installed in the direct vicinity of the château by Charles Joseph, Prince de Ligne
Charles Joseph, Prince de Ligne
Charles-Joseph Lamoral, 7th Prince de Ligne in French, Charles Joseph Lamoral 7te Fürst von Ligne : was a Field marshal and writer, and member of the princely family of Ligne.-Military service:He was the son of Field Marshal Claude Lamoral, 6th Prince of Ligne and Elisabeth Alexandrine...
.
The interiors were appointed with fine furniture and the art collections of the family. During the New Year's celebrations of 1900, disaster struck the castle when it burned down completely. Most of the furnishings, including the library of 20,000 rare volumes and the art collection, were saved. The castle was rebuilt in the following years by the French architect Ernest Sanson
Ernest Sanson
Paul Ernest Sanson was a French architect trained in the Beaux-Arts manner.Sanson entered the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris at the age of eighteen, and followed the courses offered by Émile Gilbert...
, while the interiors were redecorated using pieces from the Ligne collection.
External links
- www.chateaudebeloeil.com Official website