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Located in northern France, not far from the Belgian border, the Chateau d’Esquelbecq remained open this weekend for the 2020 edition of the European Heritage Days, despite a wave of cancellations of occasions across the country due to the Covid-19.
Every year, on a weekend in September, the gates of France’s monuments and historical sites are loosely opened to the public as part of the Days of European Heritage, a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Union to publicize rich cultural diversity.
To the great sadness of many, this weekend’s celebrations were interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, with occasions cancelled in Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, Lille, Dunkirk and Boulogne-sur-Mer.
However, Esquelbecq, a city of 2000 inhabitants located in the center of the interior of French Flanders, has been allowed to welcome visitors to its local castle, an imposing medieval castle classified by the government as an ancient monument.
“We’ve been getting ready for this weekend for months. We are fortunate to have escaped cancellations,” Johan Tamer-Morael told FRANCE 24, whose circle of relatives has owned the castle for 3 generations. Of course, this doesn’t mean we don’t have to strictly enforce local authorities. “Health guidelines: mandatory masks, use of hydroalcoholic gel and change of routes”.
A vestige of the Renaissance
Due to overcrowding, several rooms of the castle have been closed to the public and all entrances and exits are obviously signposted. But the greatest charm remains along the gardens, as advised through the poetic theme of the castle for this year’s event: “What we sow”.
In addition to an outdoor exhibition committed to long-term agriculture, visitors are invited to walk past the castle’s lattice orchards, rose bushes, greenhouse, dovecote, park, serpentine river, bridge and moat, all of which come with only component of the ordinary architectural ensemble that opens to the city’s main square.
“The gardens of Esquelbecq would be the only Remaining Renaissance gardens, which is true for the maximum component,” Aline Le Coeur, who works as a landscape painter and historian in the castle, told FRANCE 24. “Although he underwent extensive renovations in the 18th and 19th centuries, he remained faithful to the drawings published in 1641 through [scribe and historian] Antoine Sanderus in his ebook “Flandria Illustrata”. Going through it is like projecting yourself into a Flemish painting. Exude an ordinary charm. “
Restoration after ruin
The Heart began operating in Esquelbecq almost 15 years ago, at that time, the gardens were abandoned in ruins, as was the castle, which had been severely broken through the cave of its tower in 1984. The incident destroyed the entire north wing. , which was the residence of the owners, who had fortunately left the goods the day before and no one was injured.
But the cave marked the beginning of a long era of forgetfulness and abandonment that marked the city’s population, deeply to “its” castle, as photographer Stéphane Fedorowsky illustrates in his interactive ebook “Memories”.
It was more than 20 years before the Tamer-Morael family circle began rebuilding the estate in 2006. Since taking over his parents’ assignment 3 years ago, Johan Tamer-Morael, 41, has faithful his paintings to him full-time, overseeing in each and every detail: window replacement, plumbing, electricity, the structure of new walls and ceilings, as well as the recovery of the large reception hall.
Although the site is far from complete, Tamer-Morael has “big plos angelesns” for the castle, according to Judicael de los angeles Soudiére-Niault, curator of architecture at the project’s rate. “He doesn’t have much money, however, he knows how to surround himself with volunteers and his willingening for this project,” Soudiére-Niault said.
“You have to dream”
Tamer-Morael was able to do this in a giant component thanks to the Esquelbecq Castle Association, created in 2017 to bring in combination volunteers interested in the recovery of the property.
Over the years, the arrangement has won competitions, adding the 2017 name of Le Figaro mag for the charming maximum recovery project, which allowed it to finance new works in the castle.
Encouraged by his good luck so far, Tamer-Morael needs to move on: “What we sow” is a declaration of love for this property. It has been enjoyed over the centuries and we must keep it alive, no matter what.
The next step in the recovery of the castle will be the cleaning of the moat, which will charge several hundred thousand euros. To finance the project, the Esquelbecq Castle Association presented a year ago a fundraiser. The organization also hopes to rebuild the destroyed tower. in 1984.
“We have the technical means to [do] it,” Soudiére-Niault said. “There are a number of other projects that are priority. But it would be wonderful for this vertical element, typical of medieval castles. It is a dream that I hope we can achieve in the medium term».
The word “dream” came here to the brain of El Corazón when talking about the castle of Esquelbecq.
“When you walk through the gardens, you get struck by beauty. Flowers, water, runes, stepped pediments . . . It’s all a dream,” he says. ” In the era of coronaviruses, this is more than ever. You have to do it. “. dream. “