Meldert Castle

Meldert Castle, locally known as Kasteel van Meldert, lies in the village of the same name, in the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish region in Belgium.

Meldert Castle was first mentioned in 1572 when it was inherited by Willem II van Oyenbrugge from his father, who was Lord of Meldert. Possibly the castle was built after their medieval seat; the Meldert Keep in the center of the village, had suffered from a fire in 1568.

Around 1845, the historic castle was owned by Josephine Louise Van der Noot, Countess of Duras. She had been married to Louis Eugène Marie Lamoral de Ligne but after his death in 1813 she had remarried to Charles-Ferdinand d'Oultremont de Wegimont. She had the castle demolished and then had the present neo-Gothic castle erected in its place by the architect Vivroux from Huy.

In 1877 Meldert Castle suffered from a fire but was quickly restored by Adrien d'Oultremont de Duras. He started to rent the castle out, so between 1888 and 1890 it was home to Henry Shelton Sanford, the United States Ambassador to Belgium.

In 1957 the castle and its domain were bought by the Chaplains of Labor, a Roman-Catholic congregation. They used it to set up the Sint-Janscollege which still occupies it at present.

At present Meldert Castle is a private school, so its interior can not be visited. The surrounding estate has become a public park. A nice Gothic castle.

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