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From generation to generation, the esteemed d'Ursel lineage ascended the exalted ladder of nobility. By the year 1600, they had attained the distinguished title of barons; thence, in the year 1638, they were elevated to the esteemed rank of Counts, and subsequently, in 1717, the illustrious Conrard-Albert was designated as the inaugural Duke of his family. He flourished financially, due in no small measure to a fortuitous inheritance bestowed upon him from a deceased nephew, who departed this world devoid of progeny. Hingene, being his preferred abode, was the subject of his grand aspirations. The eminent Jean Beausire, architect to the sovereign of France, was commissioned to metamorphose the castle into a residence modern and fashionable, befitting the Duke's elevated standing.
The façade of the edifice was adorned in a late Baroque style, whilst behind it, a magnificent reception hall supplanted the former inner courtyard. To the left, the gallery yielded to a residential wing, featuring an apartment crafted in the exquisite French manner. The garden, too, underwent a transformation, reimagined in the French aesthetic, complete with a splendid reflecting pool and geometric parterres.
In the year nineteen hundred and seventy-three, His Grace, Henri, the eighth Duke, did resolve to divest himself of the venerable castle and its accompanying parkland. The estate was first bestowed upon the municipality of Hingene, and subsequently, following the amalgamation of Belgian local authorities in the year nineteen hundred and seventy-seven, it was transferred to the municipality of Bornem, ultimately finding its home with the esteemed Flemish Community. Having languished in desolation for nearly two decades, the Province of Antwerp did acquire the estate in nineteen hundred and ninety-four, and with great diligence restored it to its erstwhile magnificence. With the restoration now having reached its splendid conclusion, the Province endeavours to invigorate both castle and park anew, ensuring that the rich history of the estate and its former denizens may ever remain a wellspring of profound inspiration.
Vestibule of Castle d'Ursel
Hall of mirrors at Castle d'Ursel
In the years betwixt 1761 and 1765, the illustrious Giovanni Niccolò Servandoni was entrusted by His Grace, Duke Charles d'Ursel, to undertake vast modifications to the interior of the castle. Ceilings, floors, panelling, doors, alcoves, windows, and cupboards, all executed in a rather austere yet refined classical style, coalesce into a singular decorative schema. The outcome is an exceptionally harmonious entirety, which hath remained almost unaltered unto the present day. Upon the ground floor, Servandoni conceived an array of spaces befitting social engagements: an entrance hall adorned with marble floors and stucco embellishments, a dining chamber with resplendent mirrored walls, a newly conceived library, as well as drawing rooms embellished with pier glasses positioned gracefully betwixt the windows.
Located:
Castle d'Ursel
Wolfgang d'Urselstraat 9
2880 Bornem, Belgium
Thine automobile:
One may avail oneself of the opportunity to park upon the designated parking areas located upon the Kasteeldreef and the Wolfgang d'Urselstraat.
To make the venue accessible to all guests:
There exists a commodious elevating conveyance which grants ingress to all levels of the establishment. Moreover, a suitably adapted sanitation facility is available in the subterranean area.
Information taken from the Castle d' Ursel's website
A historical ball held at Castle d'Ursel
Impression of Castle d'Ursel