Bouvigne Castle, Breda, Netherlands

Bouvigne Castle origins are not known. It appears in official documents for the first time in 1554, in the testament Jacob van Brecht. Here it is described as a stately stone building surrounded by water. Over time the castle has been extended. It began as a stone house to which a tower was added (between 1554 and 1611). Over the following three years further modifications were made to the building and the tower extended to its present height. This gave the form we see today.

The Van Brecht family are the first recorded owners of the Castle and their name can be found on tile work from c. 1494. They used the castle as a summer residence, living in the town during the rest of the year. In 1611, Jan Baptist Keermans became the owner. He was responsible for much of the rebuilding but did not enjoy the fruits of his labour since in 1614 the land passed into new hands of The Prince of Orange.

The family made little personal use of the castle which was used as a residence for their stewards. The building was poorly maintained and fell into disrepair and was eventually threatened with demolition. The local people fortunately prevented this in 1774. In 1775 Willem V gave up possession. Today Castle Bouvigne is owned by the Waterschap (the regional body responsible for waterways and the maintenance of water levels).

References:

Breda Nassau Stad

User Reviews

Hans Peter Verroen (7 years ago)
Prachtig Kasteel! Zeer goed onderhouden kasteeltuin. Vrij toegankelijk via Waterschapskantoor. Gewoon eens binnenlopen op een mooie zonnige dag!

Jan Molendijk (7 years ago)
Helaas waren ze gesloten, had graag wat rond gekeken daar. Nog maar eens terug gaan dus.

Michael S (7 years ago)
This place was one of the highlights of my trip to Breda. It has a small, beautiful and well maintained garden. Its different parts follow French, German or English styles. The entry point was a bit difficult to find, we did an entire circle around the castle and park before discovering one had to go through the adjacent office building to access the garden. The castle itself is off limits. Here's an interesting idea-- one can have weddings on the premises! This according to the brochure we we're given. Local staff was very friendly.

Richard Gomperts (8 years ago)
very nice castle, it has a wonderful garden, well maintain

Peter Schweinsberg (9 years ago)
Memories of our youth..

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright caminanteK

Historic Site of the week

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.

Bouvigne Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Château de Foix