Mesen Castle, also known as Kasteel van Mesen, was erected near the Belgian town of Lede. The castle was destroyed and rebuilt multiple times, with the most recent rebuilding taking place in 1628. It was originally built as a fortification and for a long period functioned as a royal residence. From the 16th through the 18th centuries, the Bette family owned the land. In 1796, the structure was no longer utilized as a residence. During the 1800s, the castle was repurposed and utilized to promote local industries. It has been used as a gin distillery, a tobacco factory, and a sugar refinery at various times.
The castle was built in the heart of Lede, surrounded by a seven-acre park ringed by massive walls. Kannunikessen nuns from Jupille (now Liège) bought this property in 1897. The religious order added an exquisite Gothic Revival chapel on the castle grounds in 1905. In addition, they converted the castle into a boarding school. Following WWI, the school was administered by the “Institute Royal de Messines.”
Mesen Castle was remained in use from 1914 until the late 1960s. It was utilized as an exclusive boarding school for females who spoke French. Aside from scholastic courses, students were taught about high class manners, people management, and correct cleaning. The Belgian aristocracy funded the school. The girls had a very rigid routine; their days began at 7 a.m. with Mass, followed by grueling activities until the evening. The lessons were demanding, and the school board insisted on rigid Victorian discipline.
There were around 150 pupils at the school at the time, and they were only given one visit per month and one month off per year. When you examine the walls that surround the castle grounds, it almost sounds like a jail.
It took the pupils 13 years to complete their schooling. They were admitted to the school as 5-year-old girls and finally graduated as 18-year-old high-society ambassadors.
The school subsequently closed its doors. Following that, control of Castle Mesen was transferred to the Belgian Ministry of Defence. Neglect caused the castle to deteriorate quickly. They judged that the restoration would be too expensive, therefore they left it vulnerable to theft and destruction rather than conserving it as a historical landmark. The environmentalists from the country lost the struggle, and the castle was eventually dismantled. This magnificent structure was dismantled and vanished from the face of the planet. The destruction began in 2010, and on December 19, 2013, the town Lede decided to dismantle all of the castle facilities.
The abandoned and damaged Castle Mesen is depicted in these images as a shadow of its past splendor. They are now little reminders of what this site once symbolized.
