Castle of Wijer

This was formerly the seat of the lords of the lordship that encompassed Wijer and Kozen. From 1365 to 1423, it was owned by the De Vivario family; from 1423 to 1485, it belonged to the Lords of Diest; from 1485 to 1672, it was owned by the De Kerckhem family.

The tower is late Gothic, presumably built in the first half of the 16th century by Teynard de Kerckhem, and was remodeled in 1657 in the Maasland Renaissance style by Arnold de Kerckhem. He was married to his cousin, Anne-Marie de Kerckhem. The coats of arms of both can be found above the entrance gate. They had the gatehouse, a residence, and the castle farm built. In the second half of the 17th century, the family fell into financial difficulties, and the castle was sold to the Land Commander of Alden Biesen, and from 1699 it was owned by the Van Afferden family. In 1830, it was sold to the De Diest family, and in 1880, it came to J. Jacquelart, who was responsible for the Neo-Gothic renovations. The current appearance of the castle dates back to around 1910. The castle is now owned by the Willems family.

Wikipedia