Kasteel d'Ursel

Kasteel d'Ursel is a classicist moated castle standing at the center of Hingene, a village that belongs to the municipality of Bornem in Antwerp Province. The castle and its surrounding park form one of the best-preserved aristocratic estates in the Scheldeland region of Flanders, and since the 1990s the complex has operated as a museum and a venue for cultural events.

Where does the estate's history begin?

The site's story reaches back to the 12th century, when a fortified manor already stood on the spot. The direct predecessor of today's castle was a stone house built by Thibault Barradot, who became steward of Rumst in 1535. That modest stone dwelling formed the core around which the later estate grew.

How did a manor house become a castle?

Between 1556 and 1608 the property belonged to the Van de Werve family, who transformed Barradot's stone house into a so-called "huysinghe van plaisantie," a country residence built for leisure and representation. The decisive turning point came in 1608, when the estate was bought by Conrad Schetz, baron of Hoboken and lord of Hingene. In 1617 he adopted the surname d'Ursel, the name the castle still carries, and almost immediately commissioned building work. The result was a genuine castle in traditional brick-and-sandstone style, encircled by a distinctive water mirror.

Who gave the building its present classicist look?

The castle's definitive classicist facade and interior layout date from a major renovation carried out between 1761 and 1764. Count Charles d'Ursel entrusted the oversight of this work to the Italian architect Giovanni Nicolano Servandoni. It was this renovation that produced the harmonious, symmetrical Enlightenment-era design visitors still see today.

How did the castle pass into public hands?

The d'Ursel family held the estate for generations, but in 1973 Henri, the eighth duke, decided to sell the castle together with its park. Ownership first passed to the municipality of Hingene, then, following the 1977 municipal merger, to Bornem, and afterward to the Flemish Community. For nearly twenty years the property stood empty and neglected. It was only in 1994 that the Province of Antwerp purchased the entire estate and restored it in full to its former grandeur, opening the castle and park to visitors.

What can visitors see today?

Today's visitors can explore both the castle's classicist interiors and the extensive landscaped park built around the moat. The complex functions as a museum, and its historic rooms and grounds are also used as a setting for cultural and educational events organized by the Province of Antwerp.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Kasteel d'Ursel located? In Hingene, a village within the municipality of Bornem, in Antwerp Province, in the Scheldeland region.

Where does the name d'Ursel come from? From the surname adopted in 1617 by Conrad Schetz, the estate's owner at the time and lord of Hingene.

Who designed the castle's current appearance? The classicist form dating from 1761–1764 was overseen by Italian architect Giovanni Nicolano Servandoni, commissioned by Count Charles d'Ursel.

Since when has the castle been open to the public? Since 1994, when the Province of Antwerp bought and restored the previously abandoned estate.