Mariadal Castle

En un regard

Le château en bref

Mariadal Castle, also known as Val Marie, stands in Zaventem, in Flemish Brabant, at the heart of the municipal park known as the Centrumpark. It occupies the site of the Ophem pachthof, a 15th-century farm belonging to the Hof Ter Meeren, which the archaeologist Emile De Munck bought in 1896. The farm was largely demolished, and in its place De Munck built, on the former foundations, a neo-traditional manor house in brick and sandstone with seven bays, completing it in 1900. A round tower topped with a conical roof marks the north façade, and a 17th-century wing of the former hof survives. Inside, a black marble fireplace, panelling, a parquet floor and an original stucco ceiling have been preserved. Paul Gonze acquired the estate in 1920 and laid out the foundations of the park. The commune became the owner in 1937; the castle housed a school from 1937 to 1947 and, after restoration in 1988, a cultural centre. The site has been recognised as architectural heritage since 2021.