Lovendegem Castle

Lovendegem Castle, locally known as Kasteel van Lovendegem, lies in the village of the same name, in the province of East Flanders in the Flemish region in Belgium.

A castle in Lovendegem was already known in the 13th or 14th century. By the 17th century, it consisted of a keep with a simple stone house. Probably in the first quarter of the 17th century, a wing with a chapel was added to the north side of the castle.

In 1700, the castle was granted to Gillis Dons, Lord of Scheldewindeke. After he was made a baron in 1716, he changed his family name to Dons de Lovendeghem. The baron expanded his castle in 1721.

The Dons de Lovendeghem family had the castle completely rebuilt into the current eclectic style by architect P. van Kerkhove between 1885 and 1888. At the end of World War I, in 1918, the current baron disappeared. His body was found seven weeks later in the castle woods; he had been shot, and his body was covered with straw. He was likely killed by retreating German soldiers.

Although the last Baron Dons de Lovendeghem died in 2014, Lovendegem Castle had been for sale since 2004. Today, the castle is owned by Baron Patrick the Ladoucette, from the Pouilly Fumé wine estate of the same name in France.

Currently, Lovendegem Castle is private property and not open to visitors. The castle appears to be unoccupied. It’s a beautiful castle, but it’s unfortunate that it is unused at the moment, because large buildings like castles often fall into disrepair when they are not maintained.

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