Falnuée Castle, Gembloux, Belgium

Falnuée Castle, locally known as Château-ferme de Falnuée, lies south of the village of Mazy, in the province of Namur. Falnuée Castle started out as just a square keep, serving as a watchtower, in the valley of the Orneau river. It was probably built around 1285 but only first mentioned in 1343. Then it was held in fief by Henri de Falnuée from the Count of Namur; William I. It protected Namur's border with the Duchy of Brabant, together with nearby Mielmont Castle and Villeret Tower.

In 1456 Jean, the bastard of William I, took over the fief by force. His descendants then held possession of it until the mid-17th century. From then on several families followed who owned or were ceded the castle, until the French Revolution at the end of the 18th century. The last Lord of Falnuée was a General-Major Albert-Eugene de Meldeman who died in 1814. From then on the castle became purely a farm.

In 1987 the castle farm was bought and turned into an 18-hole golf club. At present the buildings of the castle farm are all used by the golf club.

References:

castles.nl

Château de Foix

The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.

In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.

Falnuée Castle

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