- Type
- Palace / château
- Coordinates
- 50.5510°, 3.7302°
History
Belœil has belonged to the de Ligne family since 1394, and the moated medieval stronghold was gradually turned into a comfortable residence. In the 17th and 18th centuries the princes remodelled it in a classical style and laid out a vast French garden around a great sheet of water. Its golden age came under Charles-Joseph de Ligne (1735–1814), field marshal, diplomat and writer, whose essay "Coup d'œil sur Belœil" described his estate and the gardens of Europe. In December 1900 a fire gutted the main building, although most of the furnishings and the library were saved; between 1901 and 1906 the architect Ernest Sanson rebuilt it in an almost identical form. The de Ligne family still lives at the château.
What to see
The château with its brick wings stands within a moat; inside are salons with furniture, tapestries and family portraits and a library of some 20,000 volumes. Mementoes of Charles-Joseph de Ligne recall his European career. The park, with long avenues, canals and the Grand Pond, combines French geometry with a corner of English landscape garden.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q584031
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