Château de la Folie

The Duke of Lichtervelde is the current owner.

The honorary courtyard is remarkable and contains a beautiful chapel from the 16th century. This chapel features stained glass windows by Bertrand Van Orley.

Thibaut Fraiteur (translated by us):
'The castle of La Follie in Ecaussinnes-d'Enghien is built on the edge of the stream La Sennette. This stream was formerly called ruisseau des Ecaussinnes. Another stream, which comes from Feluy, is called Ru des Robinettes or Ry with stones, and yet another stream comes from the hamlet of Waugenée to flow into the Sennette and run through the park of the castle. It is in Ecaussinnes that the Sennette leaves the plateau, which is topped by the Roeulx, at the springs of the Familleureux forest to take a picturesque route to Ronquières, then to Clabecq to throw itself into the Senne.

The castle in its current form no longer resembles the castle from the early 16th century. However, certain walls, elements of the interior, and especially the excavations carried out in 1928 by Mr. Pierre de Lichtervelde prove an old history. It is thought that the current castle was largely built on the foundations of the 16th-century castle.

At that time, the castle of La Follie was flanked by 4 round corner towers, connected by 3-meter-thick walls. This created a square ground plan, which is actually still the case. Around the castle was a moat filled with water, with a drawbridge.

The domain of Ecaussines was established around 1100 by Othon d'Ecaussinnes. The Roeulx and Simon de Lalaing succeeded him.

Englebert d'Enghien, a descendant of the powerful feudal house d'Enghien, married Marie de Lalaing, the daughter of Simon, Lord of Ecaussinnes, in 1364. He purchased the estate and renamed it 'Domaine de La Follye' in 1366.

It is also from the 14th century that two Ecaussinnes emerged: Ecaussinnes Lalaing and Ecaussinnes d'Enghien, both with their own castles. The old castle consisted of 4 corner towers with battlements and parapets, pierced by arrow slits; the entrance gate was only accessible via a drawbridge in the middle of the western wall, protected by a square tower. In the middle stood a keep, and the whole was surrounded by moats and a gatehouse outside for the drawbridge. Some remnants of this primitive castle still exist: the side walls are 3 meters thick, and the spiral staircase in the tower. Beneath the castle are impressive cellars with vaults. There you can also see the foundations of the four corner towers.

During the 14th century, these cellars must have been habitable, as evidenced by an old chimney.'

Gregor Legein