Hingene Castle, Bornem, Belgium

Hingene Castle was the summer residence of the House of Ursel. The Dukes of Ursel and their family resided for 350 years on the estate. A famous resident was Conrard-Albert, first Duke of Ursel (1665-1738). His son the second duke asked Giovani Nicolano Servandoni (1695-1766) to redesign the family estate. The front was made symmetric like a palace.

The duke received important noblemen here, such as Johan von Sinzendorf und Pottendorf (1739-1813) and Joseph de Ferraris. During the 18th century the castle was known for banquets and balls. Marriages in the family were celebrated by the whole village, the dukes usually being well regarded locally. Around 1960 the castle was sold by the Duke of Ursel, the furniture and contents of the library were removed from the castle. The House of Ursel left the town, and chose to reside henceforth in Brussels.

In 1994 the province of Antwerp obtained ownership and restored the estate to its 17th century state. The Duke of Ursel gave an important part of the original interior back to the castle.

References:

Wikipedia

Castles and fortifications in Belgium

User Reviews

Marc C. (9 months ago)
Had a preview of Liaisons Desireuse while setting up Ilke Cop’s part of the exhibition. Beautiful castle and the show will be great!

Heidi Naert (2 years ago)
Very nice castle with an interesting history. We were given an entertaining guided tour, which was especially in-depth on the history of the sikes. Very nice if you are interested in interior decoration and art. Highly recommend

Hilde Damman (3 years ago)
Juli 2022. A textile exhibition brings me here. The flyer presents an intriguing picture. Breathtaking. Stunning. Mighty. Can’t find no words for what I feel. ?a million!

Ikfixda Antwerpen (4 years ago)
Very nice place but we need more place to sit.

Robert Verbruggen (4 years ago)
Beautifull park. Plenty of places to sit and picknick. Well maintained castle.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright discopalace

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Sigmaringen Castle

Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.

The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.

These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.

Hingene Castle

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