Chimay Castle

En un regard

Le château en bref

Chimay Castle overlooks the town of Chimay (Hainaut), on a promontory commanding the crossing of the Eau Blanche. The site is linked to a seigneurial family attested at the end of the 11th century (Gauthier de Chimay is mentioned in a charter of 1065–1070). The lordship later passed to the counts of Soissons, then to the counts of Hainaut at the beginning of the 14th century, before being acquired around 1445 by Jean II de Croÿ from Philip the Good. Raised to a principality in 1486 by Maximilian I, it remained a princely seat. The castle, remodelled several times, was severely damaged by a fire in 1935 and then rebuilt; it also houses a 19th-century theatre and is open to visitors for part of the year.