Carondelet Castle

Carondelet Castle, locally known as Château de Carondelet or Donjon de Crupet, lies in the village of Crupet, in the province of Namur in the Wallonia region in Belgium.

Carondelet Castle dates back to the 11th or 12th century. It now sits in a small lake and is connected to its bailey by a stone arched bridge. In 1315, the seigniory was already very important, with the right to serve justice and dependence on Liège.

It was owned by the Crupet family until 1510, after which it passed to the Carondelet family. In 1667, it changed hands through marriage to the Mérode family, who held it until the French Revolution. The name of the Carondelet family remains associated with the castle, and their coat of arms can be seen above the entrance in the gate tower.

It is a squat stone keep with 3 floors, originally built from limestone, likely equipped with battlements and a wall walk. It was transformed into a castle farm in the 16th century, with several additions, including a corner stair tower, an extra floor with a new roof, and Renaissance-style windows. A projecting latrine on the south side of the keep and several loopholes are still visible. The entry to the bailey is through a gate tower, which was equipped with a drawbridge until the 18th century.

The castle was restored in 1925 by architect Blomme and was owned by the Limbosch family until 2009, when it was purchased by the De Bever family. After a 10-year restoration effort, the castle is now available for events or groups. It has been beautifully restored, so I plan to revisit and take new pictures.

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