Wissekerke Castle
Encyclopedia
The Wissekerke Castle is situated in the village of Bazel
of Kruibeke
municipality in the East Flanders
province of Belgium
. Although a castle stood at this site since 10th century, the present castle was largely built in the 15th century with lake, park and a suspension bridge. The suspension bridge by the castle is one of the oldest surviving wrought iron
suspension bridge
s in Europe and was designed in 1824 by Jean-Baptiste Vifquain, an engineer from Brussels
Many famous people lived at Wissekerke castle, including the influential family of Vilain XIIII. For 139 years the members of this family were the mayors of Bazel. Through the centuries the castle has been rebuilt and renovated. The most important building works were completed in the 19th and 20th centuries. Most of the present architecture recalls 19th century neo-gothic style. The major interior features also date from this period. The castle, the gatehouse, the iron suspension bridge and the pigeon tower were listed as monuments in 1981. In 1989 the castle was purchased by the town of Kruibeke, which has since handled the restoration work. The castle is also venue to many cultural activities, tours and exhibitions.
In spite of the modest span of 23 meters, the bridge is of great industrial archaeological value, because of its historical and structural uniqueness. Since 1981, the bridge at Bazel has been a protected historic monument.
Bazel
Bazel is a village in Belgium, in the municipality of Kruibeke. Population : 4,967. The village has one of the oldest suspension bridges in Belgium, built in 1824. The Wissekerke Castle is located in this village.-References:*...
of Kruibeke
Kruibeke
Kruibeke is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Bazel, Kruibeke proper and Rupelmonde. On January 1, 2006 Kruibeke had a total population of 15,216...
municipality in the East Flanders
East Flanders
East Flanders is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and in Belgium on the provinces of Antwerp, Flemish Brabant , of Hainaut and of West Flanders...
province of 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...
. Although a castle stood at this site since 10th century, the present castle was largely built in the 15th century with lake, park and a suspension bridge. The suspension bridge by the castle is one of the oldest surviving wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
suspension bridge
Suspension bridge
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...
s in Europe and was designed in 1824 by Jean-Baptiste Vifquain, an engineer from Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
Many famous people lived at Wissekerke castle, including the influential family of Vilain XIIII. For 139 years the members of this family were the mayors of Bazel. Through the centuries the castle has been rebuilt and renovated. The most important building works were completed in the 19th and 20th centuries. Most of the present architecture recalls 19th century neo-gothic style. The major interior features also date from this period. The castle, the gatehouse, the iron suspension bridge and the pigeon tower were listed as monuments in 1981. In 1989 the castle was purchased by the town of Kruibeke, which has since handled the restoration work. The castle is also venue to many cultural activities, tours and exhibitions.
In spite of the modest span of 23 meters, the bridge is of great industrial archaeological value, because of its historical and structural uniqueness. Since 1981, the bridge at Bazel has been a protected historic monument.