Ingelmunster Castle Museum

In the year 640 of our era, English monks lived in a monastery, located on the site where the castle now stands. On the one hand, it is suspected that the name Ingelmunster would have arisen from this: Anglo-Monasterium. On the other hand, it was the location that gave Ingelmunster its name, 'on the corner, on the corner' of the Dendermonde seigneury: 'Angle-Monastère'. In 1075, the Count of Flanders, Robert the Frisian, built a fortified castle on the ruins of the monastery. This count attached great importance to this place because of its militarily advantageous location: along the watercourse of the Mandel and along the Kortrijk - Bruges military road. The location of Ingelmunster was of such strategic importance that the place was called 'the key of Flanders'. In 1736, the castle was rebuilt on the basements that date back to the Middle Ages. This is the building as we still know it today. Over the centuries, it changed from a military fortress to a luxurious country house. The seigneury of Ingelmunster - a barony since the end of the 16th century - was owned by several families, including: the de Rhodes and van Gistel families (1000 - 1384) the Burgundian and Cleves families (1384 - 1583) the de Plotho family (1583 - 1825) the de Montblanc family (1825 - 1986) In 1986 the van Honsebrouck family, A local brewing family, the castle, restored it and opened it to the public. The 12.5-hectare domain was also freely accessible. In September 2001, a fire destroyed two-thirds of the castle. The building itself suffered great damage, but worse was the irrevocable loss of its contents: furniture, tapestry, sculptures, paintings, etc. disappeared forever in the flames. The unique wax museum also disappeared forever. Currently, the castle has been restored as a building to its former state. Unfortunately, it is no longer open to the public.

Dirk Acx