Kasteel van Ooidonk

The castle's origins date back to 1230, when a fortification was built on this site, forming part of Ghent's defensive ring and securing the Leie River. After its destruction by Louis III of Flanders, it was reinforced from 1381 by Jean de Fosseux as the moated castle of Nevele, featuring four towers and a drawbridge. In the early 15th century, the castle came into the possession of the French noble family Montmorency through marriage. This family, particularly Philippe II de Montmorency-Nivelle (Count Hoorn), was involved in the Wars of Religion, which repeatedly brought misfortune to the castle. Burned down in 1491 by troops of Maximilian of Austria, it was rebuilt in 1501. Another destruction occurred in 1579. After 160 years in Montmorency possession, the castle was sold in 1595 to the Antwerp banker Maarten della Faille, who had it rebuilt into the representative Renaissance castle seen today. For over 200 years, it remained in the possession of his descendants. In 1864, Count Henri t’Kint de Roodenbeke-de Naeyer acquired the castle. From 1870, he commissioned the architect Clément Parent for extensive restorations, which primarily focused on the interior, while the exterior appearance was preserved.

Kasteel van Ooidonk is located in Bachte-Maria-Leerne, in the province of Oost-Vlaanderen (East Flanders) in the region of Vlaanderen (Flanders), Belgium, at an elevation of approximately 7 m above sea level.

The castle can be visited and, along with its 140-hectare estate, has been publicly accessible since 1958. It remains in the private ownership of the t' Kint de Roodenbeke family.

• Kasteel Reijvissche (castle), approx. 7.6 km away
• Kasteel van Zwijnaarde (castle), approx. 9.6 km away
• Kasteel van Poeke (castle), approx. 10.4 km away
• Kasteel van Kruishoutem (castle), approx. 11.0 km away