Trazegnies Castle

Courcelles, Belgium, Belgium

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Trazegnies Castle (Château de Trazegnies) is a historic fortified castle in the village of Trazegnies, part of the municipality of Courcelles in Hainaut, Belgium, originally built in the 11th century by Gilles I de Trazegnies as a stronghold for a powerful and independent lordship on the border between Brabant and Hainaut.

The earliest medieval structures were almost completely destroyed in 1554 when French troops under Henry II burned and sacked the castle during the Italian Wars, after which the estate was rebuilt and gradually transformed into a dignified residence in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The present main building is especially notable for its graceful Louis XIII-style façade, a rare example in Belgium of this early classical architecture, while surviving elements of the original medieval castle include the Romanesque cellars from the 11th century, a two-story gatehouse, and former Gothic cellars, all of which show the castle’s long evolution from fortress to aristocratic home.