Cartier Castle, Protected heritage castle in Marchienne-au-Pont, Belgium.
Cartier Castle sits along the Sambre riverbank with traditional Belgian architecture spread across multiple wings around a stone-walled central courtyard. The layout creates distinct areas, with various wings housing different functions and purposes.
The building was constructed in 1635 by the Honore family and served as a military hospital in 1667 during the War of Devolution. Both French and Spanish forces used it, showing how deeply this location was drawn into major European conflicts.
The ground floor library bears the name of French writer Marguerite Yourcenar, who visited in 1956 through family ties. The space shows how literary history connects to this location and draws people in.
The first floor contains administrative offices of the Walloon region, while the courtyard is open to public access. Visitors can explore the courtyard as part of the municipal park.
An exact replica of the castle was built in Beijing between 1910 and 1917 using materials shipped from Belgium. The copy was created for the Belgian diplomatic mission and shows how this building reached far beyond its home country.
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