Hasselbrouck Castle, Neoclassical castle in Gingelom, Belgium
Hasselbrouck Castle is a U-shaped stone building in Hasselbroek, a hamlet of Jeuk in Gingelom. Its right wing dates from 1620 in Maasland Renaissance style; the central block was added in 1770 to a design by Liège architect Jacques-Barthélemy Renoz. The left wing held the coach house and outbuildings. One robust tower remains, the second was demolished in 1843, and parts of the interior have stucco work.
Construction began in 1620 under the Bormans van Hasselbroek family, who maintained strong connections with regional authorities. The expansion with new stylistic elements continued across the following decades.
The left wing, once the coach house and service quarters, now houses the Mezo Art Foundation, which lets young artists and makers exhibit in specially fitted rooms. The leather-goods workshop Veneor and painter Mezo's studio also occupy the left wing. Painter Emma Jamar (1883-1967), niece of artist Armand Jamar, was born into the family that has owned the castle since 1841.
The castle stands in Hasselbroek, a hamlet of Jeuk in Gingelom, on the language border in the Hesbaie region. It is a private property, so the building and its stucco interiors are not open to visitors; the U-shaped plan, the single remaining tower and the facade with its clock pediment are seen from the lawn and the low iron fence along the street.
Cossacks stayed at the castle on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo and slashed the wall canvases with their sabres; the cuts are still pointed out. The building also served as the castle of Maurice de Praetere in the 2013 film of the F.C. De Kampioenen television series.
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