Gravemound of Rupelmonde

The Graventoren in Rupelmonde is the remnant of a water castle from the 12th century. Driven by economic importance, the castle was built by the counts of Flanders as a defense of the Scheldt and Rupel rivers. The castle was surrounded by a wide arm of the Scheldt. Soon, the building fell into disrepair. Philip the Bold thoroughly restored the castle in 1389 and expanded it into a castle with seventeen towers. However, in 1583, the castle was largely destroyed. The castle served for a long time as a prison where various historical executions took place. Mercator was also imprisoned there in 1544 for seven months on charges of heresy. In 1678, the Count's Castle was again severely damaged. The stones were subsequently salvaged by the local population for, among other things, the Our Lady's Church. In 1817, at the request of Baron Guillaume de Feltz (1744-1820), the last remnants of the ruins were cleared, and a brick hunting lodge was built on the original tower base of Tournai limestone.

Bert Meulemans