Fosteau Castle

Fosteau Castle, locally known as Château du Fosteau, lies in the town of Leers-et-Fosteau, in the province of Hainaut in the Wallonia region in Belgium.

The oldest parts of Fosteau Castle date back to the late 14th century. At that time, the castle was a rectangular, moated, and fortified mansion owned by a Simon or Wauthier de Semonsies, a local lord. His eldest daughter, Jeanne, married Jean I de Sars, probably just before 1400. Four generations of Knights of Sars succeeded here.

In the mid-16th century, Fosteau Castle passed to Louis de Zwenne through marriage. In 1599, his son Pierre was forced to sell the castle due to financial difficulties. By then, the castle was in a dilapidated state. Nicolas de Marotte bought it, restored it, and expanded it. One of his additions was an extra brick floor on top of the earlier mansion.

During the 17th century, the castle came to Andrien Jamblines through marriage. His great-great-grandson, Adolphe d'Aoust, inherited Fosteau Castle in 1794. Earlier during the 18th century, a new wing was added, giving the castle a U-shaped ground plan.

In 1854, the castle was inherited by Adolphe's nephew, Jules-Edmond, Marquess of Aoust, whose daughter Hélène married Henri Marie de Robin de Barbantane. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the Barbantane family remodeled the castle several times and added a second farmyard.

One of their descendants, Roseline de Robin de Barbantane, wife of Baron Albert le Guay, lived in the castle until 1981. It was then sold to its current owners, the Van Hoonacker family, who also restored it.

Today, Fosteau Castle is private property, but it can sometimes be visited for a small fee. A charming rural castle.

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