Donjon Carondelet - Crupet

Since the construction of the castle, various owners have made all kinds of adjustments to the castle over time .

They have all left their mark according to their way of life, their tastes or the needs of their family composition. We can say that the builder of the original building has done a good job. In the 13th century, it was built large and solidly and the lord of the castle of Crupet has done everything possible in that respect! Big? The dimensions of the rectangular building are 13.10 by 9.80 meters with a height of approximately 26 meters. firm? Depending on the floor, the thickness of the walls fluctuates between 1.70 meters on the ground floor and 1.10 meters on the upper floors.

Through their marriage in 1540, Guillaume de Carondelet and Jeanne de Brandebourg obtained the domain, where they took up residence in 1568. Significant improvements were made on their initiative. We should be aware that the building was much more austere before the transformations they made. You also have to imagine that the three floors inside were only accessible by miller's stairs, forcing residents and visitors to squeeze through small holes to get from one level to the next. To overcome this inconvenience , the young couple decided to build a cylindrical tower on the existing castle with a large staircase leading to each floor, including the one with the half-timbered extension that the owners also designed. The staircase is still usable, but needs a thorough restoration. Incidentally, from the outside it is very easy to see how the old building and the stair tower are connected.

In those days it was not easy to enter a donjon that was necessarily well guarded. Guests were not to appear suspicious to the guards, who saw them approach from the beautiful portal tower , which provides access to the farm. First you came through that tower on which stood a very beautiful pinnacle with the coat of arms of the Carondelets . In the top of the tower you can still see the coats of arms with the names and slogans of their lords.

After crossing the courtyard , we arrive at a small bridge with three arches under which the remains of two older wooden bridges from the 13th and 16th centuries have been discovered. This brings us to the original entrance gate. A rectangular frame is outlined around the Gothic-style arch, which is slightly indented. We call this the feuillure, a precisely measured space through which a drawbridge fits perfectly into the cavity that has been cut out for it. This prevented attackers from accessing the keep, as those without a doorknob or handle could not get a grip on the gate.

No castle without a farm

In addition to the adjustments made by the Carondelet-Brandebourg couple, they also decided to reconstruct in stone a farmhouse that had previously been built from perishable materials (wood, earth, straw). Next to the portal tower , a barn, a stable and the old farmer's residence in the form of a small tower bear witness to this.

Since at that time it was not as easy to manage supplies as it is now, the products of the farm, the grain harvest, the raising of chickens, cows and pigs, the fruits of the orchard and vegetables from the vegetable garden, and the brewing beer all to do their part. It is strange that there was also fish on the menu . The carp ate the kitchen waste and the greedy fish were caught in the water of the castle moats and served at the table of the lords of the castle. The farmhouse, which is perfectly integrated into the domain, is part of the restoration plan.

Today, the keep is owned by the De Bever family, who also attach great importance to new technologies in the field of insulation and thermal optimization.

Willem Vandenameele