Biljoen Castle
A 16th-century noble house rebuilt with four equal corner towers.
Last updated
via Wikipedia: Biljoen Castle · see source
Where it is
Coordinates: 51°59′49″N 5°59′31″E (51.9970, 5.9920) · Open in OpenStreetMap
Coordinates and connected clubs: the infobox of Wikipedia: Biljoen Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0). Map: drawn by Codexery from OpenStreetMap tiles.
Castle Biljoen is a 16th-century noble house situated between the Veluwe and the IJssel near Velp. It was rebuilt by Alexander van Spaen (1619–1692) into the present-day castle, which features four equal corner towers.
Ownership
Originally known as Broekerhof, the estate began as a place for tax collection. Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV gave it to Utrecht’s Sint-Pieter Chapter in 1076. Charles, Duke of Guelders, bought it in 1530 but was forced to sell it five years later due to debt, passing it to his general Roelof van Lennep. Roelof’s son Carl, Arnhem’s mayor, took over in 1546, followed by his own son Roelof in 1567.
After family splits, the Van Spaen barons purchased it in 1661. In 1849, Baron Van Hardenbroek let Anna Pavlovna of Russia use it temporarily. The Lüps family inherited it in 1872 and kept it until 2008. That year, on July 25, part of the castle’s contents was auctioned at Christie’s in Amsterdam.
Did You Know?
- The castle is thought to have originated as a large farm, first mentioned in 1076.
- In 1795 French troops were quartered in the castle, and after they left it was plundered, largely destroying the interior.
- The interior was later restored with ornamental plaster and ceiling paintings.
More in Castles in Gelderland
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Biljoen Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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