Kasteel Succa

Destelbergen, Belgium, Belgium

---

Kasteel Succa, also historically known as Goet Ter Saelen, is a moated water castle in the East Flemish town of Destelbergen, Belgium, situated on the Succalaan and Volderrede.

The site probably had some late medieval occupation, but the castle as such was built in the second half of the 16th century by Willem de Succa, a noble officer of Piedmontese origin who married Jeanne de Voorde of Destelbergen and became lord of the associated tereign and seigniory, a fief of the Abbey of Saint‑Peter in Ghent.

The castle was destroyed by the troops of Louis XIV during the wars of the late 17th century, and in 1700 the ruined building was sold to the family d’Oignies, who partly rebuilt it and introduced further modifications in the second half of the 18th century and in the 19th century. In 1925 the castle was restored and slightly altered under the direction of architect Valentin Vaerwyck, preserving its medieval‑rooted layout while updating its appearance.

The building is a U‑shaped water castle surrounded by a wide, roughly rectangular moat; a 16th‑century square stair tower in brick and stone, originally independent, is now incorporated into the north‑east corner, and the northern wing closely follows the 1641 depiction by Antonius Sanderus. The interiors are largely in the style of Louis XV and Louis XVI, and the entire estate covers about 17 hectares, with a park containing a pond, wooded areas and tree‑lined avenues, together with service buildings such as a 19th‑century coachhouse and an old staff house with a core dating to around 1700.