Rebuilt and transformed several times between the 12th and 19th centuries by many different families, this splendid fortress and noble residence surrounded by a moat was built by the non-profit organization "Les Amis du Château des Ducs d'Havré". to explore the complex and its magnificent rose garden with its 15,000 rose bushes, it is possible to rent the structure to host events in a unique context.
Château des Ducs d'Havré History
The origin of the castle is very ancient. Although the official date of its creation is attested only from 1226, its strategic position on the border with the Haine and well protected by marshes was already known from the 11th century to the counts of Flanders and Hainaut.
In 1255 Ida di Mons married Englebert of Enghien and the descendants of that family, the house of Enghien, will be the owners of the castle until 1423. Gérard d'Enghien will then give his land to Christopher Harcourt. Subsequently the castle passed by marriage under the control of the families of Dunan, Longueville and finally of Croÿ; in 1518 the general Philippe II of Croÿ, military instructor of Charles of Habsburg, became the owner of the castle and assumed the position of Grand Balì of Hainaut, that is the count's superior justice officer. His son, Charles-Philippe, was elevated to the title of Knight of the Escorial, he is known for his political inconstancy, but above all because having been wounded by a musket shot, he was treated at the castle by Ambroise Paré, the famous Surgeon of the Kings In 1578, the castle experienced a particularly turbulent period, as it was besieged by the armies of Don Giovanni d'Austria and Francesco Ercole di Valois who caused not insignificant damage to the structure. Unfortunately in 1579 a fire completely destroyed the castle, leaving only the walls.
From 1601 to 1603, Charles Alexander, Duke of Croy, Marquis of Havré, made a particular effort to restore the castle in order to make it one of the most beautiful palaces in Belgium, where many important figures of the time would have liked to remain. The castle experienced all that splendor only for less than a century, in fact, shortly after the French invasion of 1792, it was immediately sold as a national asset. Despite its 1807 acquisition by the Croy family, it was gradually abandoned by the same.
In 1930 much of the castle collapsed, transforming the building into ruins, which the commission for monuments and sites hastened to classify thanks to the Royal Decree of 15 September 1936. Today, the non-profit organization "Amici del Castello dei Duchi d'Havre ", created in 1979, is working to save the site; the rooms of the castle can be rented for weddings, parties and any type of event.