Bioul Castle

Bioul Castle, locally known as Château de Bioul, lies in the village of the same name, in the province of Namur in the Wallonia region in Belgium.

The first castle was built here in the 11th century. It belonged to the Orbais family until the 13th century. In 1349, it was owned by a Gilles de Jauche.

In the 16th century, the castle came into the possession of the Brandeburg family, who held it until the early 18th century. In 1554, marauding French troops ransacked the castle, but it was later rebuilt.

In 1708, Bioul Castle was acquired by the Bilquin family, and later by the Moreau family. Guillaume-Nicolas de Moreau had the castle rebuilt in 1776. In 1870, the Moretus-Plantin family purchased it, and since 1896, it has been owned by the Vaxelaire family, who also rebuilt it.

Bioul Castle has been extensively rebuilt several times, leaving none of its original medieval structure. The oldest part of the castle is the square Guimaud Tower, located opposite the entrance gate, which is probably from 1620.

During World War I in 1914, the castle served as Marshal Philippe Pétain’s headquarters for a few days. He liked it so much that he returned in 1930 for a visit with his protégé, Charles de Gaulle.

Today, Bioul Castle is private property and functions as a winery. It can only be visited as a guest of the winery, but it can be viewed from the village. A nice château.

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