Interior The main entrance. The cables that you see above the entrance are for the cable car that runs on the street. | Welkom bij Kasteel Gravensteen! This bold fortress was built by Count Philip of Alice. It was modeled after the crusaders' castles that count Philip encountered while he endured in the Second Crusade. Before its construction in 1180, there stood a wooden castle on he same location believed to have been built in the 9th century. The castle served as the seat of the Counts of Flanders (the name Gravensteen means "castle of the counts" in Dutch) until they abandoned it in the 14th century. For the next centuries, the castle was used for many things including a courthouse, prison (and briefly a factory) though it did eventually decay. Houses were built against the walls and even on the courtyard and the stones of the walls were used to build other buildings. Finally, in the late 19th century, plans were arranged to demolish this magnificent structure. But why is this castle still standing? Well, in 1885 the city of Ghent saved the day by purchasing the castle and commissioned a renovation project. The new houses were removed and the castle and what remained of the moat was renovated. This is personally my favorite castle in the Low Countries because of its rich history and story, and the appearance. With the thick walls, the moat, arrow slits, and crenellations make it impenetrable. The shields in the pictures of the interior are all symbols of historical significance to Flanders. The lion is the symbol of Flanders, and can be seen on the shields and flags on the castle outside. As always, dank u voor uw bezoek! |