Castle of Kerkom

Sint-Truiden, Belgium, Belgium

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The Castle of Kerkom (Kasteel van Kerkom) is a historic castle complex in the village of Kerkom-bij-Sint-Truiden, part of the municipality of Sint-Truiden in Limburg, Belgium, located near the Cicindria brook and the old church of Kerkom.

Its origins go back to the late 14th century, when the domain was known as the lordship of Kerkom and was held by the family van Alsteren, who were lords of Kerkom from the end of the 1300s until 1675. Over the centuries the estate passed through several families, including the Henrix, Everarts and de Seroots line, and later the Schoor family, who in 1760 built a classical, U-shaped castle arranged “entre cour et jardin” (between courtyard and garden), with a main residence, wings, and a landscaped park, some of whose original features such as a corner tower and stonework from the 17th century remain visible.

In 1889, the baron F. de Moffart commissioned a new eclectic-style castle to the north-east of the old building, and the classical castle was largely demolished except for the north-east wing and the east corner towers, which were converted into a coach house and servants’ rooms, while the grounds were redesigned by landscape architect and botanist Alfred Wesmael in 1883, with a large park, ponds, and a terrace with two octagonal garden pavilions separating the old and new buildings.