Sombreffe Castle was built in the early the 13th century as a simple keep pertaining to the Lords of Orbais. It was a border fortress of the duchy of Brabant. Later in the 13th century the Lords of Orbais surrounded the keep with a circular curtain wall. This wall was equipped with several towers, a gate and a secondary keep.
In 1446 the castle passed to the Vernembourg family by marriage. They kept the castle until 1543. Several other families passed as owners of Sombreffe Castle; Culembourg, Lalaing, Ligne, Oignies and finally the Lannoy family.
At the end of the 16th century the upper part of the primary keep, where the residence of the Lord was situated, was destroyed by fire. In the beginning of the 17th century this part was rebuilt with the use of bricks.
In the 18th century a new residence for the Lord was built beside the primary keep. In the 19th century the castle was used for agricultural purposes. A doctor Geerts bought Sombreffe Castle in 1982 and restored it.
Today the castle is used for parties, marriages and as a restaurant. But when I visited it seemed that it hadn't been used for these purposes for some time now. Nevertheless a very nice castle.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.