Feluy Castle

Feluy Castle, locally known as Château-fort de Feluy, lies in the village of the same name, in the province of Hainaut in the Wallonia region in Belgium.

Feluy Castle was built in the 1380s at the order of Eustache de Bousies, probably on the site of an earlier fortification. In 1489, it was besieged and captured by the troops of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, led by Albert III, Duke of Saxony.

The castle remained in the hands of the De Bousies family until 1548. Afterward, it passed to the Rubempré family through marriage. In 1576, it passed to the De Renesse family through inheritance. Due to damage sustained during the 16th-century wars, René de Renesse rebuilt the castle in 1615. The De Renesse family owned Feluy Castle until 1658, when it transferred to the De Berghes family through marriage.

During the Franco-Dutch War in 1674, William III of Orange and his troops camped at the castle before the Battle of Seneffe. During the Nine Years' War, the castle was taken several times by French troops. In 1692, the Duke of Luxembourg set up his headquarters in Feluy Castle and later pillaged it. Subsequently, the castle changed hands multiple times between warring parties.

In 1720, the last of the De Berghes died, and Feluy Castle was inherited by the d'Albert family. In 1774, the castle was acquired by the Countess d'Isendoorn à Blois. By then, the castle was heavily damaged by war and by the soldiers garrisoned there. She undertook a complete rebuild of the castle. Only the gate tower, part of a corner tower, and the curtain wall between them from the original medieval moated castle remained. She also built a new mansion on the castle island in 1777.

Several other owners followed, but by 1972, the castle had fallen into disrepair. A thorough restoration was undertaken.

Today, Feluy Castle hosts cultural events and weddings, blending elements of a medieval castle with those of an 18th-century château.

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