Lucid
History
Earliest history
Castle Beauvoorde probably originated in the 12th century and was built on a motte, a small hill surrounded by a moat. As early as during the Middle Ages, a ‘residence‘ would have stood here. The earliest written record we have of the castle dates from 1408, when there was talk of a ‘burg‘, where Jan de Valuwe lived.
17th-century pleasure gardens of the de Bryarde family
In 1573, the castle came into the possession of the de Bryarde family, but due to persistent warring and a plague epidemic, the de Bryardes had to flee to safer places shortly after having made their purchase. Upon their return, they found the castle in a state of ruin. In 1600, high bailiff Jacob de Bryarde rebuilt the site into a most agreeable pleasure garden worthy of the name. A few remnants of this reconstruction remain visible to this day.
Decline
The castle remained the property of the de Bryardes until 1838, but since 1662 none of the family had shown any interest in the estate. They preferred the city life down in Ghent. The castle slowly but surely fell into disrepair.
Arthur Meghelynck's retreat
In 1875, the eccentric nobleman Arthur Merghelynck came onto the scene. He purchased the castle and had it restored to the 17th-century style. For 27 years, the estate was a nothing but a building site. Merghelynck had certain parts rebuilt, others carefully restored. The man was an undaunted romantic. He sought not the authentic or the real; what was important to him was to create an atmosphere redolent of the past. Through collectors, he bought up items and curiosities from the 17th century. What he couldn't find, he had replicated. Avid collector that he was, he filled the place to the brim with beautiful furniture, paintings and knick-knacks from all over the world. Today, the castle looks exactly as it did in 1908, when Merghelynck passed away.