Karreveld Castle

Karreveld Castle
  • Château du Karreveld (French)
  • Kasteel Karreveld (Dutch)
Karreveld Castle and pond
Map
General information
TypeCastle
Architectural styleRenaissance
AddressAvenue Jean de la Hoese / Jean de la Hoeselaan 32
Town or city1080 Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Brussels-Capital Region
CountryBelgium
Coordinates50°51′37″N 4°18′55″E / 50.86028°N 4.31528°E / 50.86028; 4.31528
Other information
Public transit accessBrussels Metro 2 6 Osseghem/Ossegem

Karreveld Castle (French: Château du Karreveld; Dutch: Kasteel Karreveld) is a castle-farm in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, a municipality of Brussels, Belgium. The castle and surrounding park are used for cultural events and meetings of the municipal council. This site is served by Osseghem/Ossegem metro station on lines 2 and 6 of the Brussels Metro.

History

The estate was owned since 1780 by the Villegas family,[1] who already owned Rivieren Castle in the nearby municipality of Ganshoren.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the castle was one of the birthplaces of Belgian Cinema. At the request of Charles Pathé (Pathé Cinéma), the director Alfred Machin commissioned the first film studio in the country, together with a workshop for the construction of film sets and a mini zoological garden for exotic animals, such as bears, camels and panthers used as 'extras' in films. Several films, including the first two Belgian feature films La Fille de Delft and the sadly prophetic Maudite soit la guerre (in hand-painted colours) were shot by Alfred Machin in the studio of Karreveld Castle.[2][1]

The municipality of Molenbeek bought the castle in 1930 and used a large part of the 16 ha (40 acres) estate for urbanisation works (Boulevard Louis Mettewie/Louis Mettewielaan, streets and villas). The park was converted into a public park in 1952, and the buildings were almost entirely rebuilt between 1952 and 1958;[1] they now house a cultural space and municipal services.[3]

Events

Festival Bruxellons!

Every summer, from mid-July to September, the castle grounds host the Festival Bruxellons! [fr], a theatre festival open to other performing arts (i.e. magic, music, circus, etc.). Created in 1999, at the initiative of the municipality of Molenbeek, this festival has grown to offer up to thirty shows for a total of around 100 performances each summer. The programme is centred on Belgian artists and on a popular theatre dynamic that aims to share the best of theatre with as many people as possible.[4]

The Blue Flamingo – Jazz Festival

The Blue Flamingo – Jazz Festival is a cycle of seasonal events dedicated to jazz. It has been co-produced by the municipality of Molenbeek since 2010. The concerts offered take place on Friday and Saturday evenings, three or four weekends a year.[5]

  • View from the park
    View from the park
  • Rear view
    Rear view
  • Lateral view
    Lateral view

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Parc du Karreveld – Inventaire du Patrimoine Naturel". sites.heritage.brussels (in French). Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  2. ^ "Visionair 'Molenbeeks' oorlogsdrama uit 1914 opnieuw vertoond". www.bruzz.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Gemeenteraad wil na 60 jaar terug naar Laag-Molenbeek". www.bruzz.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Festival Bruxellons!". www.bruxellons.be. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  5. ^ "The Blue Flamingo Jazz Festival". www.blueflamingofestival.be (in French). Retrieved 28 July 2023.