Graventoren

The Graven Tower in Rupelmonde is the remnant of a moated castle dating back to the 12th century. For economic reasons, the castle was built by the Counts of Flanders to defend the Scheldt and Rupel rivers. The castle was surrounded by a wide arm of the Scheldt. The building quickly fell into disrepair. Philip the Bold completely restored the castle in 1389 and enlarged it into a castle with seventeen towers. But in 1583, the castle was largely destroyed. The castle has long been a prison where several historic executions have taken place. Mercator, too, was imprisoned there in 1544 for seven months, accused of heresy. In 1678, the Castle of the Counts was again seriously destroyed. The stones were then recovered by the local population for, among other things, the Church of Our Lady. In 1817, on the orders of Baron Guillaume de Feltz (1744-1820), the last remains of the ruins were cleared and a brick hunting lodge was built on the base of the original limestone tower of Tournai.

Val et Oli