Château de Seneffe
The Château of Seneffe or Château de Seneffe is an 18th-century
and serves as the "Centre de l'orfèvrerie de la communauté française" which displays a collection of antique (mainly 18th century) silverware.History
In 1758 the 'Seigneurie de Seneffe' was bought by Julien Depestre, a Walloon merchant who earned a fortune by selling goods to the Imperial Austrian troops stationed in the Austrian Netherlands. Depestre's new status as a wealthy and influential individual was also confirmed by the acquisition of noble titles such as 'Seigneur de Seneffe' (Lord of Seneffe) and 'Count of Turnhout'. The new castle designed by Laurent-Benoît Dewez had to match with Depestre's new noble status. It was erected between 1763 and 1768 in a novel neoclassical style. When Julien Depestre died in 1774 the decoration of the château and the embellishment of the park were continued by his widow and his eldest son Joseph II Depestre.
After the French Revolution and the subsequent occupation of the Austrian Netherlands by the French Republic, the extraordinary art collection (1797)[1][2][3] and the château were confiscated (1799).
It was bought by a figurehead assigned by the Depestre family and came back into their possession after the ascent of
Architecture
The château of Seneffe with its magnificent park and annexes offers a very fine example of a mid-18th-century noble residence. In general it follows the example of French noble and royal residences. It can be compared with the Petit Trianon built at the same time (1762–1768) by Ange-Jacques Gabriel for Louis XV. Elements like the colonnades flanking the central frontal courtyard are novel elements introduced by architect Dewez who trained in Italy under Luigi Vanvitelli. Dewez also found inspiration in neoclassical English country houses of his time. The quality of the architecture and its international inspiration make it a unique building.
A wide tree-lined alley starting in the village of Seneffe gives access to the castle and its grounds. At the end of the alley a wide lawn provides an unhampered view on the broad courtyard (
The facade of the corps de logis consists of five bays separated by monumental composite pilasters connecting the two main storeys. The middle bay stands out slightly and is topped by a pediment which contains the coats of arms of Joseph Depestre and his wife flanked by gilded lions. A stair leads to the front door and into the entrance hall on the piano nobile. The two lateral bays are also flanked by composite pilasters. A molded cornice surrounds the entire building and is topped by a balustered railing only interrupted by the pediment in the middle and by a blind railing decorated with a 'guirlande' above the lateral bays. This railing partly hides the slate roof. Like the galleries the facades of the corps de logis are entirely executed in local "Pierre bleu du Hainaut" (Blue stone of Hainaut) or "Petit-Granit" a very hard greyish-blue limestone. This durable and expensive material also stresses the prestige of the building.
Interior
Most parts of the original decoration of walls, floors and ceilings are still preserved, as are most of the marble fireplaces. After the extensive damage of the 1960s and 1970s elements such as fireplaces, wainscotting and flooring was partly reconstructed. Some original elements stolen after WWII were even traced back on the art market.
The sumptuous interiors contain elaborated '
Park and 'Follies'
The park was laid out following the construction of the Château in the 1760s in a formal late
In the 1780s part of the park was rearranged as a
In the 19th century the entire park was rearranged as an English
See also
- Neoclassical architecture in Belgium
- List of castles in Belgium
References
- ^ bibliotheque-numerique
- ^ Ann H. Sievers: Master Drawings from the Smith College Museum of Art, p. 103 (books.google.de)
- ^ joconde
- ^ "Visao Judaica Online". Visaojudaica.com.br. Archived from the original on 2013-11-11. Retrieved 2013-04-27.
Sources
- Xavier Duquenne, Le Château de Seneffe, Brussels, 1978.
- Véronique Bücken, Le Château de Seneffe - Centre de l'orfèvrerie de la communauté française, series: Musea Nostra Brussels, 2003 edition.
External links
- (in French) Official website