Meldert Castle

Meldert Castle, locally known as Kasteel van Meldert, lies in the village of the same name, in the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish region in Belgium.

Meldert Castle was first mentioned in 1572 when Willem II van Oyenbrugge inherited it from his father, who was Lord of Meldert. Possibly, the castle was built after their medieval seat, the Meldert Keep in the center of the village, which had been destroyed by fire in 1568.

Around 1845, the historic castle was owned by Josephine Louise Van der Noot, Countess of Duras. She was married to Louis Eugène Marie Lamoral de Ligne, but after his death in 1813, she remarried Charles-Ferdinand d'Oultremont de Wegimont. She had the castle demolished and then built the present neo-Gothic castle in its place, designed by architect Vivroux from Huy.

In 1877, Meldert Castle suffered from a fire but was quickly restored by Adrien d'Oultremont de Duras. He began renting out the castle, and between 1888 and 1890, it was home to Henry Shelton Sanford, the United States Ambassador to Belgium.

In 1957, the castle and its domain were purchased by the Chaplains of Labor, a Roman Catholic congregation. They established Saint John's College, which still occupies the castle. 

Today, Meldert Castle is a private school and is not open to the public. The surrounding estate has been turned into a public park. A beautiful Gothic castle.

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