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Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde today

Belgium · Still standing

Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde

Kasteel Marnix van Sint-Aldegonde

Bornem Castle (Kasteel Marnix de Sainte-Aldegonde) is a country house formerly a castle on a dead arm of the Scheldt in Bornem, province of Antwerp, Belgium. The present building was constructed at the end of the 19th century to plans by Hendrik Beyaert and remains in the ownership of the Marnix de Sainte-Aldegonde family. It sits beside the Oude Schelde with a stone bridge and landscaped forecourt.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1000

Its prime

1895

Today

Still standing

As it stood in 1895

What Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde looked like in its prime.

Long rectangular stone main block in pale grey masonry with steep slate roofs punctured by multiple small dormer windows and a stepped gable; round corner towers with conical slate caps at left and right, and a taller cylindrical turret with machicolation-like crenel top rising above the roofline. A low stone terrace and balustraded bridge cross to the entrance; rectangular mullioned windows are regularly spaced across the façade. The building stands beside a calm channel of the Oude Schelde, with trimmed hedges and a gravel forecourt.

Its story

The story of Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde.

A manor house rose at Bornem in 1587, built on the foundations of an older castle by the Spanish nobleman Pedro Coloma, Baron of Bornhem and lord of Bobadilla, a follower of Alexander Farnese. The Coloma barons of Bornhem, counts from 1658, when Jean-François Coloma was raised to the dignity, held the property through the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.

The estate was afterwards leased by the family de Marnix de Sainte-Aldegonde, who became outright owners in 1773. The present building, a country house on a dead arm of the Scheldt, was constructed at the end of the 19th century to plans by Hendrik Beyaert.

It remains in the ownership of the house of Marnix de Sainte-Aldegonde; the current resident is John de Marnix de Sainte-Aldegonde, 14th Count of Bornem. The castle sits beside the Oude Schelde, reached by a stone bridge across its landscaped forecourt.

Step inside

8 places to explore in 1895.

The record describes 8 distinct spots at Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde, including the full exterior approach. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach from the stone bridgeEntrance porch and doorwayGravel forecourt with statuesBase of the central cylindrical towerRight round tower gatewayView from the Oude Schelde bankRoofline with dormers and bell-turretStone terrace balustrade over the channel

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Whose castle

Clans who held Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde.

The families that held Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Coloma

    Held by the Coloma barons, later counts, of Bornhem from Pedro Coloma's manor house of 1587.

  • Marnix de Sainte-Aldegonde

    Leaseholders who became outright owners in 1773; the family still resides at Bornem Castle.

Questions about Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde

What is the history of Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde?

Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde has origins in a 10th- or 11th-century fortification built to defend against Viking incursions. A manor house was raised on its foundations in 1587 by Pedro Coloma. After damage during 17th-century warfare, the earlier building was demolished and the present country house was constructed at the end of the 19th century.

What is inside Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde?

Inside Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde are portraits of Margaretha of Austria, Charles V and Philip II of Spain, along with many 18th-century furnishings. The castle also contains a lace room and a room with antique dolls. A coach museum is housed in one of the outbuildings, and the collection includes 91 engravings by Pieter Brueghel the Elder.

Who owns Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde now?

Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde is owned by the de Marnix de Sainte-Aldegonde family. The family became outright owners in 1773 after previously leasing the estate. The castle also has the heritage designation beschermd monument.

Why was Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde built, and what was it used for?

Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde was first built as a defensive fortification against Viking incursions. A later manor house served as the residence of Pedro Coloma and his successors, while the present building is a country house on a dead arm of the Scheldt. Its role therefore changed from fortified site to residential country house.

Does anyone live in Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde now?

Yes, Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde is lived in. The current resident is John de Marnix de Sainte-Aldegonde, 14th Count of Bornem. The castle remains in the ownership of the house of Marnix de Sainte-Aldegonde.

Where is Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde?

Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde is in Bornem, in the province of Antwerp, beside the Oude Schelde. The waterway is a dead arm of the Scheldt, and the castle is reached across a stone bridge. The building stands beside the channel with a landscaped forecourt.

When was Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde built?

Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde occupies a site with a 10th- or 11th-century origin, while the present house was built at the end of the 19th century. The site's recorded first-raised year is 1000, and the present building is associated with 1895. It therefore developed in several major building phases.

Was Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde ever attacked or besieged?

Yes, Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde was attacked during the Geuzen Wars and was later seriously damaged during 17th-century warfare. The earlier castle was eventually demolished, rather than surviving intact into the present building. The supplied material does not name a specific siege or state that the castle held during one.

Which family or clan held Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde?

The Coloma barons, later counts, of Bornhem held Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde from Pedro Coloma's manor house of 1587. The de Marnix de Sainte-Aldegonde family first leased the estate and became outright owners in 1773. That family still owns and resides at Bornem Castle.

What did Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde look like in its prime?

Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde is a long rectangular stone building in pale grey masonry, with steep slate roofs, dormer windows and a stepped gable. Round corner towers have conical slate caps, while a taller cylindrical turret rises above the roofline. A stone bridge, terrace and regularly spaced mullioned windows complete the exterior.

Is Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde still standing, or is it a ruin?

Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde is still standing and is described as intact. The present country house was constructed at the end of the 19th century after the remains of the 16th-century building had been demolished. It therefore survives as a later building on the site of the earlier castle, rather than as an untouched medieval structure.

Who built Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde?

Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde was designed by the architect Hendrik Beyaert. The new castle was commissioned by Count Ferdinand de Marnix de Sainte-Aldegonde, and E. Janlet completed the work after Beyaert's early death. The present building was constructed at the end of the 19th century.

Can you visit Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde?

Kasteel de Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde can be visited by the public. The castle is described as accessible by appointment and on four Sundays in August and September, and a visitors' centre is located in one of the outbuildings. It remains a family-owned and lived-in country house rather than a wholly public museum.
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