Hingene Castle, Bornem, Belgium - SpottingHistory.com

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

Ernst Primevision (2 years ago)
Site of the yearly Winterbal!

Jitse AT (2 years ago)
Nice to relax in the city.

Judith Muirhead (2 years ago)
Just a park not a castle. Good for a stroll. Lots of park benches and picnic tables. Free parking. Toilets. Supermarket over the road for picnic supplies.

Lester Muirhead (2 years ago)
Country house with lawns,water and woods. Nice place for picnics and family games. Has toilets and parking areas around it.

Bart Gryp (3 years ago)
Lively little chateau. Looks small, but like a Nautilus shell, its little corridors, mezzanines and byrooms make it seem so much bigger. Great place for an exhibit (in my case, "The Beauty of the Beast" combined with a very nice tea).

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