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Corroy-Le-Castle
consult the map of Corroy-le-Château 
Population
1,200
Surface area
894 ha
How it got its name
1127 : Colroith, from the Latin coryletum (wood from the hazel tree)
Inhabitants
Corroyens
Whereabouts
The area is essentially rural and residential, located on the tip of the loamy Hesbaye plateau, with its gently undulating terrain.
N 29, bus lines 147A Gembloux-Tamines, 247A Gembloux-Sombreffe, 347A Gembloux-Tongrinne/0noz
History
Located to the south of the Bavay-Cologne highway, Corroy reveals a few signs of activity during the Gallo-Roman period. A golden Nero was found in the castle moats during the 19th century. Excavation work carried out in the courtyard of the same building in 1976-77 unearthed some tiles dating back to Roman times. Corroy still has a hamlet called "Villez", which presumably refers to the site of a former villa from that period. The village was quite insignificant and its church fell within the jurisdiction of Floreffe abbey. St. Norbert is known to have preached there in 1119 and performed a miracle. Nonetheless, Corroy owes everything to its castle and the long line of wealthy and powerful princes who lived there starting from Baudouin, sire of Orbais, referred to in 1095. Let us mention the lords of Orbais through successive inheritances (also the common ancestors of the first lords of Sombreffe. In 1145, Godefroid de Sombreffe donated his possessions in Corroy to the Jérusalem hospital) ; the Brabant family, Lords of Perwez; the earls of Vianden; the earls of Sponheim ; the Palatines-of the Rhine (Bavaria) earls; the earls of Nassau-Dillenburg who became princes of Orange ; the earls of Nassau-Corroy the marquis of Trazegnies. The present fortress, an outstanding example of a princely residence during the middle ages and a large lowland castle in Belgium, dates back to the 1270-1280 period. Started by Philip de Vianden, the grandson of the Latin Emperor of Constantinople, Peter of Courtenay, the building activities succeeded in changing this tiny rural community into a lordship. The premises were pillaged and burned down in 1542 by Martin van Rossum's troops from Guelders, who slaughtered every one of the villagers. During the middle ages references were recorded in Corroy to a "hostel of god" (hospital), a law centre and an establishment for Lombardy bankers. The lord was entitled to mint coins. In 1675 (War of Holland), then in 1690, and 1692 and yet again in 1697, the village, castle and church were completely devastated during the so-called "League of Augsbourg" war between Louis XIV and William III of Nassau, the king of England, who stayed at the castle on 2 July 1695. Two small-scale industries were created in the village in the 19th century. A reference was made in 1830 to six weaving looms and a windmill. From 1841 to 1864, in a place called "Baraque Tricot", i.e. at the foot of the Chênemont Silurian cliff, a factory manufacturing gunpowder expanded its activities, even exporting its products throughout the Ottoman Empire. It went into a decline as a result of an explosion in 1860. When the population began to dwindle, in the late 19th century, what used to be an agricultural village started to become a place where most of the inhabitants had to commute for their livelihoods.
A must-see
In Rue de la Maison d’Orbais, somewhere between more modern buildings, stands an attractive 18th century house, with a double facade and two-storeys on the top of cellars, punctuated by five rows of bay windows with a key block, connected by courses at the thresholds. This was probably a hunting residence for the then earl of Corroy, while the castle was being renovated.
Marais farm in the rue des Marronniers is a very fine whitewashed complex, primarily dating back to the 17th century, when it was bordered by the lake which fed the castle moats. This compact brick quadrilateral has five bluestone semi-circular doors on tied walls. The central building is from the second half of the 17th century and the foundations of the huge barn date back to 1600. The farm castle was at one time the seigniorial brewery. A fine brick and stone complex from the second half of the 17th century. Between the two farms the medieval stone wall helped to block the Corroy stream to create the first of the lakes protecting the castle. In the hamlet of Chênemont, disfigured by modern buildings, the farm with the same name (17th and 18th centuries) is a dominant feature of the surrounding countryside. The central building dates back to 1618. Above the inner courtyard entrance is a stone bearing the coat of arms of René de Nassau-Corroy, lord of Chênemont, and his wife Catherine de Namur d’Elzée (end of 16th century ).
http://corroylechateau.viabloga.com
