Fontaine-l'Évêque Castle

Fontaine-l'Évêque Castle, locally known as Château Bivort or as Château de Fontaine-l'Évêque, lies in the town of the same name, in the province of Hainaut in the Wallonia region in Belgium.

Fontaine-l'Évêque Castle was built in the 13th century by Nicolas de Fontaine, who was also l'Évêque (Bishop) of Cambrai, hence its name. In 1408 this first castle was destroyed by fire during a war against the Prince-Bishop of Liège but was rebuilt.

During the Italian War of 1551-1559 the castle was damaged in 1552 by an army of Henry II of France but it was again rebuilt, this time in the style of the Renaissance.

During the War of the First Coalition, the first of the French Revolutionary Wars, in the last decade of the 18th century, Fontaine-l'Évêque Castle was destroyed by the French. Until that century the castle was equipped with 2 large main buildings, ramparts with 7 towers and a dry moat.

In the 1860's Fontaine-l'Évêque Castle was bought by Clément Bivort de la Saudée, a colliery director. He restored the castle to its present appearance with the help of the architect Auguste Cador.

At present the castle is used for cultural and administrative purposes by the local government, so its interior can not be visited. The grounds of the castle are however freely accessible. A nice castle.

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