Castle of Zellaer: A Neo-Gothic Water Castle in Belgium
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.5
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Belgium
- Primary era
- Modern
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval, Modern
- Civilizations
- Belgian, Duchy of Brabant, Holy Roman Empire
- Site type
- Domestic
- Remains
- Castle
On this page10 sections
History
Castle of Zellaer is a late nineteenth-century neo-Gothic water castle in Belgium, located north of the center of Bonheiden. Built between 1888 and 1892, it replaced an earlier fortress and later became a Christian retreat center operated by the Foyer de Charité movement.
Early estate and earlier fortress
A fortified site occupied the location before the present castle was built. Its earlier structures were demolished during construction of the new complex, although fragments of their foundations survived. Wooden piles discovered beneath those foundations may date from the thirteenth century, suggesting that the site has a history of approximately seven centuries.
Wouter Berthout, the medieval lord of Mechelen, was probably an early owner or patron of the estate. Canon Arnold van Zellaer may have been its first owner, and his name became attached to the property. An announcement for the public sale of the earlier castle on 20 October 1836 described it as a strong and attractive Gothic building surrounded by waters rich in fish. The quadrangular structure had four towers and a fine central belvedere, an elevated feature designed to provide a commanding view.
Construction of the present castle
Baron Gustavius Eugenius Leo Maria Gislainus de Vrière commissioned the present Castle of Zellaer, which was built from 1888 to 1892. The Mechelen architect Heugenbaarts prepared the plans, and the complex followed the fashionable neo-Gothic style of the period. A park was laid out around the castle.
The tradition that the castle is a reduced copy of a Loire Valley castle has no supporting evidence. Similarities to castles such as Sully-sur-Loire have nevertheless been described as striking.
Decline, restoration, and retreat use
After Baron de Vrière died, the castle fell into decline and suffered serious damage during the First World War. By the late 1950s, the abandoned complex had attracted the priest Vincent d’Heu, formerly a Franciscan monk at Orval Abbey in France. He envisioned the property as a place where people could seek spiritual solitude and prayer without entering a monastery.
Vincent d’Heu received support from a local evangelical community, while donations financed repairs and restoration. The local Foyer de Charité community formally opened the restored complex in 1962. Foyer de Charité is a Christian retreat movement founded in the 1930s that combines communal spiritual retreats with life outside monastic institutions. Martha Robin, who lived from 1902 to 1981, is regarded as one of its founders.
Castle of Zellaer continues to serve as a retreat center for the movement. The restored castle remains privately held, while Stichting Kempens Landschap has managed the castle and its park estate since 2017.
Remains
The castle stands on an artificial island in the center of a large pond, with water surrounding it on every side. Its rectangular complex is enclosed by a ring moat, while several broad ditches remain in the surrounding park. These ditches formerly functioned as natural defensive obstacles. A stone bridge on the eastern side provides access across the moat.
Castle structure and materials
Towers and rectangular plan
The present building has a rectangular plan. Tall, projecting round towers occupy the corners on three sides, while a large rectangular tower forms the northwestern corner. This tower functions as a decorative bergfried, a principal tower traditionally associated with the defense of medieval German-style castles, although its role at Zellaer is ornamental.
Stone and brick construction
Stone, brick, and sandstone make up the castle’s construction. The white sandstone blocks came from demolished forts at Vilvoorde. Dependent farmers of the estate were required to transport the large stones by horse and cart at their own expense.
Earlier fortified remains
Foundations and wooden piles
Fragments of the earlier fortress foundations remain beneath the present complex. Wooden piles found below them may belong to the thirteenth century, providing physical evidence for the long occupation history associated with the site.
