Kasteel van Beersel

Beersel Castle (Kasteel van Beersel) a medieval castle located in Beersel, Flemish Brabant in Belgium. Originating in 1300 under the auspices of the Duchy of Brabant, the castle's present configuration dates to 1357. It was twice sacked, and was subject to significant restorations in 1491 and 1617. Its present condition owes much to a major restoration in 1928–39. Built largely of brick around a circular enceinte, its major feature is its three large towers. Today it is open to the public and is considered one of Belgium's best-preserved castles.

Construction and history
Beersel was located at the frontier of the Duchy of Brabant with the County of Hainaut, south-west of Brabant's principle city of Brussels and near Halle. A fortified residence at the site was attested as early as 1292. In 1300, however, Godefroid of Hellebeke, the first known Seigneur of Beersel, received permission from Jean II, Duke of Brabant to build a fortification on the present site near his residence. It became one of several Brabantine fortifications in the area, including the Kasteel van Gaasbeek. In 1356, during the War of the Brabant Succession (1356–57), the original castle was besieged by soldiers from the County of Flanders, led by Louis of Male who captured and sacked it.

The Kasteel van Beersel was rebuilt from 1357 with a circular enceinte. It had three large and one small towers. During the 14th century, ownership of the castle passed to the Seigneurs of Wittem (Witthem). Henry III of Wittem supported Emperor Maximilian during the revolts of 1483–1492, placing him at odds with Brussels which supported the rebellion. Beersel Castle was besieged by Brussels militias twice in 1488 and 1489. During the second siege, the castle was attacked with cannons provided to the rebels by Louis XI of France and fell after several days, sustaining significant damage especially at its southern side.

After the defeat of Brussels, the Castle of Beersel was returned to the Seigneur of Wittem. Maximilian ordered the Brussels to restore the castle at the city's own expense. This restoration, begun in 1491, converted the three main towers were to accommodate cannons. However, the military obsolescence of castles meant that Beersel became a civilian residence in the 16th century, losing its military function. In 1581–1606, the castle housed the Fathers of Zevenborren. A restoration in 1617 added tiled roofs to the towers and ramparts.

In 1796, the castle became unoccupied and began to deteriorate. In 1818, a cotton factory was established at the site. The property passed through a series of Belgian noble families over following years and fell into ruins. They were visited by the French poet and writer Victor Hugo in 1877 who wrote a verse about the castle.

Restoration
In 1928, the derelict castle was donated by the Merode family to an association known as the League of Friends of Beersel Castle. A significant period of restoration began in 1928 and concluded in 1939 which restored the three towers and some of the ramparts to their post-1617 appearance. The residential building inside the walls had deteriorated significantly and was not rebuilt.

The castle was added to the list of scheduled historical monuments in 1934. Since 1948, it has been property of the Royal Association of Historic Residences and Gardens in Belgium (Koninklijke Vereniging der Historische Woonsteden en Tuinen van België) which has since leased it to the municipal authorities of Beersel.

The castle is open to the public, and was subject to a government-supported restoration project between 2008 and 2012. It is located near to the E19 motorway and adjacent to the Line 26 railway whose raised bank passes close to the castle's southern and eastern sides.

In popular culture
Beersel is considered one of Belgium's best preserved castles, and has featured in popular culture. It was the subject of a Victor Hugo poem in 1877. It also features prominently in the 1954 comic book De schat van Beersel which forms part of the Spike and Suzy (Suske en Wiske) series.