Antoing Castle

Antoing Castle, locally known as Château d'Antoing or Château des Princes de Ligne, lies in the town of the same name, in the province of Hainaut in the Wallonia region in Belgium.

The castle dates back to the 10th century, when a wooden motte-and-bailey castle was built here on the right bank of the Scheldt River by the Count of Flanders.

At the start of the 12th century, the castellan of Antoing Castle became a lord in his own right. The wooden fortifications were then replaced with stone ones, and a stone keep was constructed.

In 1327, Antoing Castle came into the possession of the House of Melun through marriage. Between 1436 and 1452, Jean de Melun had the castle rebuilt, transforming the old keep into a more luxurious tower house, updating the defenses to match advances in artillery, and adding a barbican in front of the gate tower. It seems the De Melun family moved in prominent circles, as many notable people visited the castle during the 15th and 16th centuries, including Philip the Good in 1464, Charles the Bold in 1468, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I with his daughter Margaret of Austria, Henry VIII of England in 1513, and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V with his son Philip II of Spain in 1546.

In the mid-16th century, a corps de logis was built next to the gate tower, which now serves as a coach house. Additionally, a tall, slender brick tower was added against the old tower house, along with a manor built in the Flemish Renaissance Revival style.

During the prelude to the Dutch Revolt in 1565, future revolt leader William of Orange and the Counts of Egmont, Horne, Brederode, and Marnix of Saint-Aldegonde gathered at Antoing Castle.

Through marriage, the castle came into the possession of the De Ligne family in 1634, who had been created Princes of the Holy Roman Empire by Emperor Rudolf II in 1601, and they still own the castle today.

Louis XIV of France visited the castle in 1670, followed by Louis XV, with the Dauphin, in 1745.

In the 19th century, Antoing Castle was restored to its current appearance by French architect Clément Parent, a student of the renowned Viollet-le-Duc.

By 1901, the castle had been vacant for about a dozen years and was then converted into a Jesuit college where Charles de Gaulle studied from 1904 to 1908. In 1914, the Jesuits were forced to leave when the castle was turned into a military hospital by the German Army.

Today, Antoing Castle remains a private residence of the De Ligne family. It can be toured with a guide for a fee on special days, offering access through the gate to the courtyard, a chapel within the courtyard, and the top of the highest tower. Though the main castle is off-limits, Antoing is still very worth visiting. A truly great castle. César Castle is located nearby.

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