Château Bilquin de Cartier

Charleroi, Belgium

Origins of the Château Bilquin de Cartier can be traced back to the around 1635, when the Honoré family built a castle on the Sambre river bank. The place had formerly been occupied by a seigneurial manor which was destroyed on 21 July 1554.

In 1667, the unfinished Spanish fortress of Charleroy was captured by Louis XIV's troops during the War of Devolution. As the castle in Marchienne was located in neutral territory (under authority of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège), it was used as a hospital for both French and Spanish soldiers.

In 1695, the castle was bought by Guillaume de Bilquin, a wealthy forge owner, who completes and enhances it. Later the castle became the property of the Cartier de Marchienne family. It was severely damaged by a fire in 1932, and bought over by the municipality of Marchienne-au-Pont in 1938, ending more than two centuries of ownership by the Cartier family.

The castle today hosts a public library on the ground floor (Bibliothèque Marguerite Yourcenar), and administrative services of the Walloon region on the first floor.

Comments

Your name



Address

Charleroi, Belgium
See all sites in Charleroi

Details

Founded: 1635
Category: Castles and fortifications in Belgium

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Jean Struyven (9 months ago)
Very good, nice library
Martine Depré (13 months ago)
I like this castle, it has a very beautiful architecture inside. A very beautiful "Marguerite Yoursenar" bookcase. Unfortunately, he is regularly the victim of disrespectful people, which makes the history of Marchienne-au-Pont. For several years I organized with the Committee of the time the Pardon de Marchienne until 2021 included closing the navigation season for the yachtsmen, gathering, the yachtsmen, the boatmen, the navy and the water sports. We wanted to make this event that was happening around the castle, known to the public to highlight this place, the castle of Cartier and its history. ?
Alain Arys (2 years ago)
Nullement entretenu par les autorités de Charleroi
Florent Recloux (2 years ago)
Chateau magnifique !?
Alberto Vella (3 years ago)
I am a garden park maintenance agent
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

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.