The Château de Fontaine (Dutch: Kasteel van Fontaine) is a chateau in the municipality of Onhaye in the Belgian province of Namur. It is located south of the village of Anthée.

The chateau was built near the intersection of the main road from Namur to Luxembourg and the road from Dinant to Liège. The chateau lies to the south of the village of Anthée in a valley surrounded by woods. The chateau replaced a medieval castle, of which there are remains in the north east corner. It was the seat of the lordship of Fontaine, which included Anthée, Morville and Miavoye, spanning the counties of Namur and Agimont in the Prince-Bishopric of Liège.

The chateau is built of limestone, and is U-shaped, open to the south, with towers on each corner. There is a farm to the east with the same plan, with the open side facing the chateau. The two-story chateau was probably built in stages in the 16th century. The other buildings were erected in the 16th and 17th centuries. The chateau was renovated in neo-traditional style between 1907 and 1909. The chateau was given a uniform appearance, with the towers raised and the present windows and other decorations added.


Kasteel van Fontaine (Anthée)

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Le château-ferme de Falaën est une ancienne demeure fortifiée de Belgique située en Région wallonne dans le village de Falaën, section de la commune d’Onhaye en province de Namur.

Le château a été bâti par la famille Polchet entre 1670 et 1673. Il s’agissait à l’origine d’un vaste quadrilatère défendu par quatre tours d’angle et une tour-porche munie d’un pont-levis comme la petite bourgeoisie terrienne élevait à cette époque pour se protéger des bandes de pillards.

Au xviiie siècle, le château-ferme passe à la famille Coppin. Il reste en sa possession pendant deux siècles. Grâce à la popularité de cette famille, le château traverse sans encombre la période révolutionnaire. Il n’est revendu qu’au milieu du xxe siècle à la famille Delhaye.

L'édifice a perdu une tour, ses douves, son pont-levis et une partie des bâtiments fermant le côté sud.

On peut désormais visiter sa cour et le musée des Confréries gastronomiques de Wallonie (confrérie Li Crochon), retraçant l’histoire des lieux.

Dans la cour se trouve une colonne pilori, ce qui est rare dans une ferme-château.

Le 1er dimanche de juillet a lieu une fête dans l'enceinte du château, Le Château en joute.

Kasteelhoeve van Falaën

Situated at the confluent of the Molignée and the Flavion, the castle of Montaigle rises on a rocky spur of the escarpment which was occupied by a small military garrison at the end of the Roman period, Byzantine Era (± IIIrd to Vth century) and probably served as a place of refuge for the local populations during the germanic invasions.

Built on a more ancient construction, the fortress was erected at the beginning of the XIVth century by Guy de Dampierre, Count of Namur, known besides as regent of Flanders and as a key-figure of the Golden Spurs Battle (1302).

Abandoned by order of Charles the Fifth during the war against Henri II, king of France, Montaigle was burn down by Henry's troops in 1554. The castle was not reconstructed; but certain parts appear to have been put in order and occupied at various later epochs. Invaded by vegetation, especially by the ivy, deteriorated by the elements, it entered the legend, as showed in the pathetic story of the "Lady with the Faggot" and the dramatic legend of "Midone de Bioul" (see museum). Montaigle inspirated also many romantic artists; among them, several english painters or engravers (see the documentation published by the Friends of Montaigle).

Exploited as a quarry by the local inhabitants, the fortress owes its salvation to the intervention of the Count of Beauffort who purchased it in 1854 to avoid its total destruction and who began the first work of consolidation. The del Marmol family, owners of Montaigle since 1865, have followed this work of protection, obtaining among other things the classification of the site (1946 & 1980) and of the ruins (1965).

In 1965, preoccupied with the deterioration of these beautiful classified remains, benevolent people offered the owner their help for the safeguard and revival of the ruins and their exceptional site. The association of "The Friends of Montaigle" was born. Their efforts have resulted, among others things, in the perfecting of a new efficient method of consolidation by projecting micro-concrete.
Subsidized since 1982 by the Culture Walloon Ministry (Protection of the Patrimony), the systematic consolidation of the ruins benefits also from the assistance of a squad of workers partly paid by the Employment and Work Ministry (PRIME project). To be added : the aid of occasional volunteers (The Youth of Architectural Patrimony...), and of generous patrons.

The efforts of the Friends of Montaigle were rewarded in March 1985 by a prize of the King Baudouin Foundation (competition "Safeguard by undertaking"); another prize awarded by the Royal Association of the Belgian historical residences was won in 1993. But the Friends of Montaigle are especially happy because Montaigle is now classified as an Exceptional Walloon patrimony.

The access to the ruins is by a very steep path protected by two walls. Originally one had to cross a ditch, to-day filled in, and a first door situated where the present houses can be seen.
The farm-yard (barns, stables, pastures) was located in an enclosure below the south side of the castle and left of the access path.


http://montaigle.be/redirect/MOpg0303A.html

The Ruins of the castle of Montaigle

The castle of Freÿr with its gardens in the style of Le Nôtre is located on the left bank of the Meuse, between Waulsort and Dinant (province of Namur, Belgium). They form one of the most magnificent natural sites in Belgium. It has been classified as one of Wallonia's major heritage sites.

The castle
Dating back to the Middle Ages, Freÿr was a keep given in fief by the Count of Namur to Jean de Rochefort Orjol in 1378. His granddaughter Marie married Jacques de Beaufort in 1410. Their descendants have kept the estate until the present.

Outside
The keep was destroyed in 1554 by the French during the wars against Emperor Charles V. The oldest part of the current castle, the east wing, was built in 1571 and is one of the first examples of the "Renaissance Mosane" style.

During the 17th century the house was enlarged by the addition of three wings, forming a square with the original wing.

Around 1760 the south wing was pulled down and replaced by a wrought iron gate reminiscent of Jean Lamour's masterpiece in Nancy, closing the inner yard to give the castle its current appearance.

The gardens

Designed in the style of André Le Nôtre in 1760 by Canon Guillaume de Beaufort-Spontin and enlarged by his brother Philippe in 1770, the gardens are set on walled terraces on the left bank of the Meuse. They offer views towards the woods to the north and towards the Meuse to the east, and their peace and serenity contrast with the naked rockface on the far bank.

Ponds and fountains babble on the lower level where orange trees spread their delicate perfume. Most of them are 350 years old. The trees came to Freÿr in the first part of the 18th century from Lunéville, the residence of the Duke of Lorraine. They are the oldest trees in cases in Europe (Icomos Conference Orangerien in Europa - Von fürstlichem Vermögen und gärtnerischer Kunst, Bamberg 2005). The wooden cases are still built according to the original design. The oldest orangery of the Low Countries (early 18th century) combines elegance and simplicity.

The upper level is covered by hedge mazes (6 km) that unveil their mysteries one by one: a set of patterns inspired by card game figures, a theme also present in the terra cotta statues made by Cyfflé.

At the very top of the gardens, the Rococo pavilion commands the view on the Meuse and seduces by its delicate stucco decoration, based on the theme of fertility with cornucopia and Tritons.

The right bank of the Meuse is dominated by cliffs (more than 100 m high, 340 million years old), from which one has an exceptional view of the estate.

Castle of Freÿr


The fortress of Crèvecoeur (literally "heartbreaker") in the village of Bouvignes-sur-Meuse is one of the major feudal castles around Dinant, along with Poilvache, Montaigle, Vêves and Spontin.

History
The first written mention of Bouvignes dates back to the 7th century. The original name, Boviniacum or Bovingen, translates as "property of Bovon". The discovery of a Merovingian cemetery as well as the Germanic origin of the name clearly indicate that Bouvignes started as a Frankish settlement.

The first fortress of Bouvignes was built by Godefroy, Count of Namur, in the 11th century. Henry the Blind of Luxembourg had it surrounded by a wall in 1176, and the church of Saint-Lambert was built soon afterwards. The keep was erected in the early 14th century, when Bouvignes and Dinant experienced their worst confrontation.

In 1554, King Henry II of France laid siege to Bouvignes and its castle. When the three last knights perished protecting the castle, their wives chose to throw themselves from the cliff rather than fall to the enemy. This story earned the castle its tragic name: Crèvecoeur.


https://www.eupedia.com/belgium/crevecoeur.shtml

Crèvecœur Castle


Walzin Castle is a castle in Belgium in the province Namur over the river Lesse near Dinant. Construction began in the 13th century, and the 15th-century Renaissance horseshoe tower with four cannon ports still exists, even though the castle was burned down by the French army in 1554. There were several restorations later, the latest by Baron Fréderic Brugman between 1930 and 1932. Victor Hugo made a drawing of it in 1863.



Walzin Castle

Le château de Bioul est un château situé dans le village belge de Bioul (Région wallonne).

Histoire

Le château féodal avec tours et fossés était, du xie siècle au xiiie siècle, la propriété de la famille d'Orbais. Cette seigneurie passe ensuite à la famille féodale de Jauche (sires de Jauche, seigneurs de Gommegnies, Hierges, Sassegnies, etc) suite au mariage de Berthe d'Orbais, dame héritière de Bioul, avec Gérard II de Jauche. La terre de Bioul restera dans la famille de Jauche jusqu'en 1522 avant de passer à un cousin du dernier représentant mâle de la branche aînée de la famille de Jauche (Jean de Jauche) : J. de Hosden.

J. de Hosden revendit ensuite cette seigneurie à Thierry de Brandebourg le 22 décembre 1522 dont la famille la conservera jusqu'au début du xviiie siècle.

Entre 1708 et 1870, les familles de Bilquin et de Moreau s'y succèdent. Guillaume-Nicolas de Moreau fait restaurer le château et le parc en 1776. Les Moretus-Plantin l'acquièrent en 1870, puis les Vaxelaire en 1896.

François Vaxelaire, qui avait fondée les grands magasins Au Bon Marché en 1860, fit réaliser par les architectes Edmond Franken-Willemaers et Léon Cabarche de grands travaux d'aménagement dans le respect du style du xvie siècle. En 1920, après la mort de François Vaxelaire, ses fils, le baron Raymond Vaxelaire et l'écrivain Georges Vaxelaire, en héritent.

Le fils de Raymond, le baron François Vaxelaire, président du Groupe GIB et vice-président de l'Exposition universelle de 1958 à Bruxelles, entreprend d'importants travaux de rénovation en 1956 après en avoir hérité. Il fait notamment appel à l'architecte paysagiste René Pechère.

Aujourd'hui encore, la famille Vaxelaire occupe les lieux et veille à sa préservation.

Un château familial qui devient viticole

Le château de Bioul existe depuis le xie siècle. Sa vocation viticole remonte à 2008.

Kasteel van Bioul

The Florennes Castle (formerly the Château de Beaufort) in Florennes, Namur, Belgium, is a castle that dates back to the 9th century, although the most of the modern structure is much more recent.

Early history

The castle is located on a rocky ridge that stretches westward from the center of the old town of Florennes. There are early records of construction of a wooden castle in Florennes in 842. In 944 Count Eilbert replaced the wooden building with a stone castle surrounded by walls. Eilbert, lord of Florennes, died on 28 March 977. His daughter Alpaïde de Hoegarde (c. 921–986) married Godefroi de Juliers, a Count of Hainaut, and their sons Godefroi and then Arnoul inherited Florennes. The town and castle, owned by Arnoul's grandson Godefroi IV de Florennes (c. 1010 – 1080), became a fief of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège in 1070. The powerful Rumigny-Florennes family held the castle as vassals of Liège until the late 13th century.

In 1281 Isabelle de Rumigny, who had inherited the castle, married Thibaut of Lorraine, lord of Neufchateau. Thibaut was a warrior prince, and fought in the wars between the kings of France, the emperors of Germany and other potentates. He was in the ranks of the French at the disastrous Battle of Courtrai on 9 June 1302. Thibaut became Duke of Lorraine on 31 December 1303, and had to fight a revolt of his subjects. At one point he lost control of the castle to the prince-bishop of Liège, but it was restored on 6 June 1307.

The castle was badly damaged during a siege in 1408. Starting in 1417 Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine, undertook work that included building the terrace and, in 1425, laying out a 20 hectares (49 acres) park. A document from 1420 states that the people of Surice, Mazée, Vodelée, Soulme, Omezée, Villers-en-Fagne, Roly, Neuville, Vodecée, Villers-le-Gambon, Franchimont, Corenne and Anthée were required to mount guard over the castle. The castle was damaged again in a siege in 1430. Around 1465 it was said that the castle of the town of Florine was fortified with ditches, bulwarks and other defensive works. These walls still existed in 1517, and the castle was accessed over a drawbridge. The house of Lorraine owned the castle until 1556.

Later events

From 1556 to 1771 the castle was owned by the House of Glymes-Jodoigne. On 14 December 1570 Jean de Glymes, Baron of Florennes and Governor of Philippeville, and his wife Reneé de Vaudemont wrote a will leaving their eldest son Charles de Glymes the land and baronetcy of Florennes. Jean de Glymes died in the castle on 2 July 1575.

The Queen of Navarre, Margaret of Valois, sought refuge in the castle in 1577. She reached the lower court of the castle, but the wife of the lord of the castle refused her admittance in her husband's absence. Don John of Austria, hearing that the queen was staying at the castle, sent 300 men to cut the road and capture the castle. Thinking the queen was within the castle, they camped some way away, planning to take it the next day. The situation was serious but the queen's pleas for sanctuary went unheeded. Finally Charles de Glymes arrived. He reproved his wife and granted the queen admittance. He then provided an escort back to Paris.

The castle passed to the Beaufort-Spontin family in 1771. In 1794 the French revolutionaries seized the castle from its owner, the Duke of Beaufort-Spontin, who had emigrated. In 1800 the municipality of Florennes declared that the castle was a national asset and could not be sold. The Beaufort-Spontins regained the property after the restoration of the monarchy. In 1893, the Beaufort-Spontin family sold the castle and its outbuildings. It was resold to the French Jesuits in 1902, after religious schools had been suppressed in France. They used it for their Saint-Jean Berchmans college, and in 1905 built a novitiate at the southern end of the park.

During World War I the castle was used as a hospital by the French army and then by the German army. The castle was occupied by the German army again in 1940. In 1942 it was transferred to the air force, who installed an air command post in the novitiate, which was destroyed by fire when they left in 1944. The castle was then occupied by American troops.

In 1950 the Jesuits sold the castle and part of the park to the Missions Seminary (Séminaire des Missions) for use as a free girls school. For the last thirty years the Missions Seminary has leased the castle to the Municipality of Florennes, who in turn have rented it to the Justice of the Peace and the Music Academy. The process of registering the castle buildings and the park with the Institut du Patrimoine as a Wallon Heritage site were initiated in May 2004. Some of the building could continue to be used for educational purposes, while other parts would be restored. The Heritage Department would cover 60% of the costs of restoration.

Kasteel van Florennes

Poilvache Castle (French: Château de Poilvache) is a ruined medieval castle in the Walloon municipality of Yvoir in the province of Namur, Belgium, overlooking the village of Houx from a clifftop on the Meuse River.

History

The present ruins date from the 15th century, although there has been a fortification on the site since the time of Charlemagne. The Liégeois town of Poilvache, a thriving walled town, protected by a castle, with a prosperous economy and its own mint, and allied to Duke Philippe the Good, virtually ceased to exist following its 1430 siege by the rebellious Prince-Bishop of Liège, Jean de Heynsbergh, and an estimated army of 30,000 Liégeois, Dinantais and Hutois. The Dinantais besiege Montaigle Castle in 1465 for the same reasons but Montaigle was destroyed in the 16th century by the army of Henri II of France.

It is impossible to see the whole site of Poilvache but it is the whole site which is ranked as Wallonia's Major Heritage.

From the top of these rocks it is possible to see the isle in the river where the German army and its armoured divisions crossed (in the North of the isle), the river Meuse on 13 May 1940.

Poilvache Castle


Au XIIe siècle, on trouve mention d’une villa Toscias qui reprend vraisemblablement le nom d’une ancienne villa romaine.

Au XIVe siècle, il est fait mention de Toséee, Tosée (1315), Thozées (1330), Thosée (1332). Au XVe siècle, la graphie de Thozée apparaît (l8 juin 1472, Archives des Henry de Faveaux). Comme la ville voisine de Fosses, Thozée a longtemps fait partie de la Principauté de Liège. Avec la commune de Mettet et le village de Scry, elle constituait une seule entité sous le nom de Communauté de Mettet-Thozée et Scry. Celle-ci était partagée en deux seigneuries : celle de Mettet-Thozée et celle de Scry. Jusqu’à la fin de l’ancien Régime, la seigneurie de Mettet-Thozée fut presqu’en permanence placée sous l’autorité des Princes-évêques de Liège. Elle était le siège d’une haute Cour échevinale de justice.

L’architecture du château de Thozée

Les bâtiments actuels sont relativement récents. La construction, entamée en l708, transformait d’anciennes fondations remontant au XVe siècle. On ne connaît pas la physionomie des bâtiments avant le XVIIIe siècle. 

Dans Le Patrimoine monumental de la Belgique, (Liège, 1975, volume 5, tome 1, p. 438), nous en trouvons la description suivante :

" Construction néo-classique en briques et pierres bleues sur soubassement de moellons, dont le plan en U reprend sans doute une disposition ancienne comme le suggère à la face arrière de l’aile sud une porte datée de 1703 (Erreur! La date exacte est 1708) sur le linteau droit. Toitures d’ardoises. Disposée autour d’une cour irrégulière, ferme en moellons de grès et de calcaire autrefois chaulée, composée d’étables au nord du logis et d’une grange en long au sud. A gauche de l’habitation, étables transformées, qui remontent sans doute au XVIIIe siècle.. Accès à l’ouest, par un porche en

Le style actuel du château de Thozée se rapproche de celui des gentilhommières françaises, avec ses bâtiments de ferme accolés au corps de logis.

Dans Le Patrimoine monumental de la Belgique, (Liège, 1975, volume 5, tome 1, p. 438), nous en trouvons la description suivante :"Construction néo-classique en briques et pierres bleues sur soubassement de moellons, dont le plan en U reprend sans doute une disposition ancienne comme le suggère à la face arrière de l’aile sud une porte datée de 1703 sur le linteau droit. Toitures d’ardoises. Disposée autour 

d’une cour irrégulière, ferme en moellons de grès et de calcaire autrefois chaulée, composée d’étables au nord du logis et d’une grange en long au sud. A gauche de l’habitation, étables transformées, qui remontent sans doute au XVIIIe siècle.. Accès à l’ouest, par un porche en briques et pierre bleue aux armes des Faveaux ".



http://www.fondsrops.org/thozee_histoire.html

Kasteel van Thozée in Mettet

Algemeen.  Het kleine dorp Annevoie-Rouillon is een deelgemeente van de ook al niet gigantisch grote gemeente Anhée.  Het ligt in het dal van de Rouillonbeek, die uitmondt in de nabijgelegen Maas.  Annevoie is voornamelijk bekend omwille van haar kasteel en de tuinen, die tot één van de mooiste van België worden gerekend.

Kasteel.  Het oorspronkelijke kasteel werd in de eerste helft van de 17e eeuw gebouwd en kwam op het einde van die 17e eeuw in handen van de familie de Montellier.  In haar huidige toestand dateert het kasteel van 1758.  Het werd gebouwd door Charles-Alexis de Montpellier, die ook de tuinen liet aanleggen.  Vooral de achterzijde van het gebouw die weerspiegelt in de grote vijver is kenmerkend.  Bemerk ook dat de gevel niet recht is maar licht gebogen.  In het uiterste noorden van het domein ligt een watermolen en aan de meest zuidelijke punt grenst het aan de dorpskerk.  Het kasteel bleef in handen van de familie de Montpellier tot 2000. 

Tuinen.  De tuinen werden in opdracht van Charles-Alexis de Montpellier aangelegd.  Latere generaties van de familie hebben de tuinen uitgebreid en verfraaid in een combinatie van Franse, Italiaanse en Engelse stijlen.  Water vormt een heel belangrijk element; er zijn verschillende waterpartijen, kanaaltjes, vijvers en fonteinen.  Het zogenaamde "Grand Canal" bevindt zich op het hoogste punt van de tuinen en wordt gevoed door een waterbron.  Dit grote waterbekken regelt de toevoer naar de verschillende waterpartijen en fonteinen en dit enkel maar door handig gebruik te maken van de zwaartekracht en het principe van communicerende vaten.  Overtollig water uit de vijvers wordt via de Rouillonbeek afgevoerd richting Maas.  De kleurige bloementuin werd in 1952 aangelegd; voorheen speelden bloemen maar een ondergeschikte rol.

De tuinen zijn opengesteld voor het publiek.  Het kasteel zelf kun je niet bezoeken maar is heel goed zichtbaar van in de tuinen.  Het grootste deel van de tuinen is toegankelijk voor rolstoelgebruikers.  Er is ook een speeltuintje voor de kids.

http://www.xplorengo.com/ned/europa/Belgie/namen/annevoie.htm