Villa Carpentier, Art Nouveau villa in Ronse, Belgium

Villa Carpentier is an Art Nouveau residence in Ronse featuring an asymmetrical facade of carved blue and white stone topped with red tiles and decorative lead details. The three-hectare estate displays the carefully planned design of this residential property with its defining features.

Victor Horta began designing the villa in 1899 for Valère Carpentier, a Brussels yarn manufacturer, and his wife Marie Huybrechts; work was completed in 1903. During the Second World War it was occupied in turn by German, British and Belgian troops. It was listed as a protected monument in 1983 and served as a guesthouse before being opened for visits.

The villa's name comes from its owner Valère Carpentier, a Brussels yarn manufacturer, and it is also called Villa "De Platanen" after the plane trees in the park. Inside, original Art Nouveau decoration includes stained glass by Raphaël Évaldre, wall paintings on canvas by Albert Ciamberlani dated 1902, and a tapestry by Émile Fabry from the same year. The former 2,000 Belgian franc banknote featured motifs from the villa.

The estate can only be visited by prior arrangement through the Ronse tourism office for guided group tours. It is advisable to book well in advance to secure a visiting slot.

The former 2,000 Belgian franc banknote carried motifs from Villa Carpentier, and in 2013 Geoffrey Enthoven filmed the Flemish film Halfweg here. The villa also once operated as a guesthouse with rented rooms.