# Farciennes Castle

- **Country:** Belgium
- **Coordinates:** 50.427000, 4.557000
- **Location Text:** Farciennes

Farciennes Castle is a derelict 17th-century structure located in the town of Farciennes within the Hainaut province of Wallonia, Belgium. Although the current building dates to 1630, it stands on the site of a much older 14th-century fortress first recorded in 1344. The original medieval stronghold was ordered dismantled in 1408 following a regional battle, but its remains were later acquired by Charles Albert de Longueval. He commissioned the construction of a new aristocratic castle in the Baroque style, though he died before its completion in 1676. The estate subsequently passed to the de Fours family through marriage and survived the French Revolution due to a clever sales maneuver by Count François de Fours.

The castle's decline began in earnest after 1809 when it was sold to a lawyer lacking the resources for proper maintenance. Industrialization severely impacted the site; nearby coal mining caused ground subsidence that cracked the walls, while large portions of the surrounding park were sold for factory development. The interior was plundered, and the building was repurposed first as a starch factory and later, in 1860, as a farm where grand ballrooms housed livestock. Despite being classified as a structure of national importance in 1926, neglect continued unchecked for decades.

In 2008, the Municipality of Farciennes purchased the skeletal remains of the once-grand estate. By this time, large sections of the building had already collapsed, and the structure was described as facing inevitable destruction. Today, the castle remains in a ruined condition, serving as a stark reminder of its former glory and the damaging effects of industrial expansion and prolonged abandonment on historical heritage sites in the region.

![Photo of Farciennes Castle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Farciennes_II_photos15.jpg)

**Source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farciennes_Castle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)