Montaigle Castle

Montaigle Castle, locally known as Château-fort de Montaigle, lies northeast of the village of Falaën, in the province of Namur in the Wallonia region in Belgium.

A Roman fortification preceded the castle at this site, which was used intermittently between 260 and 450 AD. After that, the site remained abandoned for about four centuries.

The castle was founded around 900 AD, likely by someone connected to one of the first Counts of Namur. It was first recorded in 1050 as property of the Faing family. From then until the end of the 14th century, it was known as Faing Castle.

In the early 12th century, the castle was inherited by the Count of Namur and then ceded to Gilles de Berlaymont. In 1298, it was purchased by Guy, Count of Flanders, who sold it to his son, Guy of Namur. The latter reconstructed the castle, giving it a more residential appearance rather than a military one. The remaining structures today are mainly parts of that castle. Guy, a participant in the Battle of the Golden Spurs, supposedly used the castle as a prison for about a dozen French knights he captured during the capture of Courtrai Castle in Lille.

After 1349, the castle reverted to the Count of Namur. When the County of Namur was sold to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1421, Jeanne d'Harcourt, widow of the Marquis of Namur, kept ownership of Montaigle Castle. Upon her death in 1455, it finally became the property of the Duke. By then, the castle was no longer a feudal residence but was regarded as a minor fortification manned by around 20 armed men.

In 1554, Montaigle was destroyed by troops of King Henry II of France during his invasion of the County of Namur. It fell into ruin afterward, though archaeological excavations revealed that parts of the ruins were inhabited during the 16th and 17th centuries.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the castle ruins served as a stone quarry for locals. This practice was stopped in 1865 when it was acquired by the Marmol family, whose descendants still own it today. Interest in the castle revived, and its ruins were reinforced several times.

Montaigle Castle was built on a rock in the winding valley of the Molignée River, with its layout adapted to the rock's contours. Its name, Montaigle, translates to 'eagle rock'.

Today, the castle can be visited for a small fee. A great castle ruin.

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