Duras Castle

The Duras Castle ( Kasteel van dutch Duras ) is a castle in the Belgian municipality of Sint- Truiden, which is located in the Flemish province of Limburg in the east of Belgium.

The castle in its present form was built between 1787 - built in 1789 by architect Joseph - Ghislain Henry for the Baron de Meldert, Jean -Joseph -Philippe van der Noot. It is built in neo -classical style from weißgestrichenem Brick, inspired by the architecture of Andrea Palladio. One particularly striking is the central part of the front of the property with a semi-circular portico with Ionic columns supporting a dome. The back has the same shape, there it is integrated in the building.

History

The Duras Castle is one of the very few castles in Belgium, which have not been sold since the Middle Ages, but were passed on only by inheritance or marriage in the next generation. The present castle bears the name of the Lords of Duras, who already had at this point in 1102 a castle that had the original building replaced a dungeon surrounded by water. Ghibert de Duras was hereditary marshal of the country of Liege and the County of Looz. On the Lords of the Duras family Walcourt in the 13th century, Damartin de Wafusée followed at the beginning of the 14th century, Oyenbrugge 1426-1705. Finally, the castle came with Countess Louise van der Noot de Duras in marriage to Prince Louis de Ligne and in a second marriage then 1813 in the family of Count Charles d' Oultremont, whose descendants and heirs of the castle still belongs.