Leignon Castle CINEY / BELGIUM description:This text is based on the information of Lien Staelens (with our thanks!!)
The plans of this castle, popularly known as the “Le Château des
milles fenêtres (castle with thousend windows)” were drawn by Auguste Van
Assche . It was built between 1895 and 1900 as country house for the notary
Isidore Eggermont (1844 - 1923) who was also from Ghent.
Today the castle is private property of the family Albert Karaziwan : a dairy
factory with a riding school and stables : recreation (ateliers,stages) of the ATB
Topvakanties.
The castle is not anymore in its original situation ; deteriorated and
uninhabitated farm, dairy factory , riding school and stables : in good shape, at
this moment renovations of the interior. informations about the project.
When the works started at the end of the 19th century, the castle had still its
look from the 17th and 18th century with chalked bricks and
bluestone. The main part of the habitation part, with two and half
stores, had at the west side a square tower of three and half stores.
The complete building used to be the base for the new castle, that has a L- form at
this moment. Fascinated by the flemish-gothic influences of the time
,Eggermont Van Assche had ordered to cover the castle completely with
rubbles (limestone). He ordered to highen up the old
tower, so that at a height of thirty meters you can go to a terrace,
with a splendid view. The adjacent octogonal tower ends at 45 meters hight.
The castle posesses 49 rooms. The side-aisle, that looks upon the village,
contains the service entrances, the kitchens and several sidebuildings. The principal
wanted to obtain so with the castle a beautiful and full of fantasy eye-catcher
with crenealtation, gables, turrets... and
a wallwalk that goes round the building. The groundfloor of the castle
has 850 m², and it is located on a domain of around 60 ha. On the lower part of the
domain there are situated at one side a farm and dairy factory, and at the other side
where there used to be a splendid gentry farm, now there is a manège
with stables and ridingfields.
After the death of Mrs Eggermont in 1953, the NMBS bought a part of the domain and
put the castle and annexes at the disposition of the pensioners. 9 june 1977 the
annexes of the castle were sold to the society of the children of deported.The castle
self was still in hand for some time of the Brabant Mutualities for Albert
Karaziwan, a Syrian businessman bought the castle with 11 ha land in 1989.
Since 14 oktober 1992 parts of the castle , with name the fassade, de groundfloor,
the stair case, the chapel and the square tower stood under protection of monuments.
Peter Deprins has some corrections and more information. He has this because he
passes his holidays there since he was a child (and continues passing there)
(translation by us):
The manage building and the concierge building are in the hands of AEP (aide des
enfants prisioner). The NMBS has given those buildings to the AEP, who are still
organizing yough camps there via their Flemish branch Top vakantie. During school
holidays, horse rinding camps are organized there for children between 6 and 18 years
old.
The castle is build with reference to che calendar. It has 365 windows ( 365
days), 4 towers ( 4 seizons), 52 rooms (52 weeks) and 12 stairs (12 months).
During WO2, the Germans used this castle. '
Catherine Laurent confirms that Albert Karaziwan is Belgian with Syrian origin.
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