Former Castle of Lembeek

The castle of Lembeek was built on a rocky hill, on almost the same site as a former medieval castle (14th century). From the thickness of the walls it can be deduced that this castle did not have a pronounced military function, but was still conceived as defensive. This means that the building was sturdy enough to protect a noble family, but was unable to hold out in the face of a siege. Given the fact that Lembeek was sandwiched between the county of Hainaut and the duchy of Brabant, and was therefore strategically important, this is quite remarkable. The castle disappeared at the end of the 16th century. He was probably destroyed by French troops.

In 1618, Guillame Richardot, then lord of Lembeek and later count of Galmaarden, started the construction of a modern Renaissance castle that was to serve as the "house of Plaisentie". Such popular pleasure gardens were supposed to invite enjoyment. To achieve this goal, the castle was surrounded by beautiful gardens. However, this splendour did not last long, as the decline began at the end of the 17th century. Another 100 years later, the castle was just a shadow of itself.

Pascal Brackman