In general it follows the example of French noble and royal residences. The château of Seneffe with its magnificent park and annexes ensures a very expert example of a mid-18th-century noble residence. Extensive interior and exterior renovations were only started after 1978 and were not finished until 1995. After the acquisition by the Belgian state the deterioration continued due to defected doors, windows and roofing. During these years the castle was severely looted by people who removed and sold valuable interior decoration such(a) as marble fireplaces and carved wainscotings. The castle of Seneffe was then abandoned for 7 years, until the Belgian State decided to purchase it in 1970.

It was acquired from the Philippson heirs in 1952 by the 'Collège du Sacré Coeur' which used it as a school between 19. After the liberation of Belgium in 1944 it was occupied by the US Army. When German troops invaded Belgium in 1940 the château was confiscated by the Germans and used as a local headquarters and a summer residence for the German military Governor of Belgium, General Alexander von Falkenhausen. In the advent of the Second World War the Philippson brand escaped to England and the United States. The last private proprietor was a Belgian banker of Jewish origin, Franz Philipson, who bought the 'domaine' in 1909. In 1888 it was acquired from them by Baron Goffinet. The château was sold by Joseph II Depestre's son Honoré in 1837 and bought by the Daminet family. It was bought by a figurehead assigned by the Depestre vintage and came back into their possession after the ascent of Napoleon as Emperor of the French in 1804. When Julien Depestre died in 1774 the decoration of the château and the embellishment of the park were continued by his widow and his eldest son Joseph II Depestre.Īfter the French revolution and the subsequent occupation of the Austrian Netherlands by the French Republic, the extraordinary art collection 1797 and the château were confiscated 1799. It was erected between 17 in a novel neoclassical style.

The new castle designed by Laurent-Benoît Dewez had to match with Depestre's new noble status. Depestre's new status as a wealthy as living as influential individual was also confirmed by the acquisition of noble titles such as 'Seigneur de Seneffe' Lord of Seneffe and 'Count of Turnhout'. In 1758 the 'Seigneurie de Seneffe' was bought by Julien Depestre, a Walloon merchant who earned a fortune by selling goods to the Imperial Austrian troops stationed in the Austrian Netherlands. The château is property of the French Community of Belgium and serves as the 'Centre de l'orfèvrerie de la communauté française' which displays a collection of antique mainly 18th century silverware. The Château of Seneffe or Château de Seneffe is an 18th-century château located in a municipality of Seneffe in a province of Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium.

Chateau des amerois