Kasteel Cortewalle: A Historic Flemish Renaissance Castle in Beveren, Belgium

Visitor Information

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Official Website: www.gemeentebkz.be

Country: Belgium

Civilization: Medieval European, Modern

Site type: Military

Remains: Castle

History

Kasteel Cortewalle is situated in Beveren, East Flanders, Belgium. It was originally built in the early 15th century by the Triest family. The castle was first known as Hof ter Walle, a name that later evolved into Cortewalle. Its construction reflects the Flemish Renaissance style prevalent at the time.

In the early 17th century, the castle was likely the birthplace of Antonius Triest, who became the fifth bishop of Bruges in 1616. During the 17th century, ownership passed from the Triest family to the Goubau family. Later, in 1787, the castle came into the possession of the Counts of Brouchoven de Bergeyck through marriage. This family maintained residence at Cortewalle until 1960.

The 19th century saw significant changes under Charles de Brouchoven de Bergeyck. He removed the original Renaissance cross-mullioned windows and added a neo-Gothic portal to the castle. Interior renovations also took place during this period. His descendants continued to modify the building into the early 20th century, notably enlarging the ground floor and reducing the courtyard size between 1908 and 1910.

After Josephine Cornet d’Elzius de Peissant died in 1960, the castle was left empty. Its furnishings were auctioned off in 1961. The estate was sold to the municipality of Beveren in 1966. The local government undertook restoration efforts in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Since then, the castle has been used for cultural events, exhibitions, and as a museum dedicated to local history.

Since 2000, Kasteel Cortewalle has housed the consolidated family archives of the Brouchoven de Bergeyck. These archives had been scattered after the 1961 sale but were gradually gathered and cataloged by municipal staff starting in 2001. The castle has been officially protected as a monument since September 8, 1971.

Remains

Kasteel Cortewalle is a four-winged manor house surrounded by water, built mainly of light sandstone. It sits within a public park of about 10 hectares. A 350-meter-long beech avenue leads to an iron gate with bluestone pillars decorated with lion heads and vases.

The main building forms a closed rectangular courtyard. Two parallel two-story wings with stepped gables stand on the southeast and northwest sides. These are connected by lower wings on the southwest and northeast. The oldest section, likely from 1416, is the south wing. It features an octagonal stair tower and remains of two small turrets on its upper corners.

The main entrance is on the northeast wing. It has a pointed-arch portal flanked by slender octagonal turrets with pointed slate roofs. Neo-Gothic pointed-arch windows in the northwest wing mark the location of the castle chapel. The building stands directly on a water moat, highlighting its original defensive purpose. All roofs are uniformly covered with slate shingles.

Next to the manor on the northeast side lies a former coach house, or remise, and an orangery on an island. This island is reached by an iron suspension bridge dating from around 1905. The single-story remise is built of brick on a bluestone base, with bluestone corner pilasters and a hipped slate roof. Its original round-arched carriage doors have been converted into windows, preserving the building’s original appearance. The central section of the remise features a three-bay projection topped by a triangular gable with a round oculus window.

Inside, most decoration dates from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Wood paneling, detailed carpentry, and stucco work are prominent. The vestibule floor has a black and white marble checkerboard pattern. A stained-glass dome provides natural light to the entrance hall. Notable rooms include the Verlatzaal, named after Charles Verlat, which contains hunting scene paintings and a white marble fireplace. The Blauwe Kamer is distinguished by blue damask wall coverings, while the Vlaamse Kamer features stained-glass windows with heraldic designs.

The surrounding park is designed as a landscape garden. It contains mainly lime, summer oak, and beech trees, along with exotic species such as a Japanese pagoda tree, Judas tree, and American sweetgum. The park includes a large circular flowerbed on the remise island and several ancillary buildings. These include an ice cellar and quarters for the gardener and stableman, built during 19th-century renovations.

A finely constructed kennel for the castle’s former hunting dogs was restored in 2009 at a cost of about €10,000. This structure remains part of the estate’s historical features.