Wijchen Castle
Castle Wijchen – a short history
In spite of its current fairy tale renaissance exterior, Castle Wijchen began life as a defensive tower castle, and has had a number of dramatic moments in its long history. It has also been the backdrop to star-crossed lovers and the home of royalty. A rich history that makes a visit to the castle well worthwhile for the historically minded.
14th to 17th centuries Castle Wijchen is first mentioned in a written source in 1392. The earliest castle probably dates from the middle of the 14th century.
The castle has passed through the hands of many different families. In the middle of the 14th century it belonged to the family Van Galen, in 1536 it passed into the ownership of the lords of Batenburg. By then the castle had been thoroughly sacked at least once. The rebuilding is likely to have been the initiative of one of the lords of the manor of Batenburg (the Bronkhorst family), but the castle was only completed at the beginning of the 17th century. The responsibility for the completion of the current castle lies with the royal couple Princess Emilia van Nassau en Don Emanuel van Portugal.
museumwijchen.nlWebsite:http://www.museumwijchen.nl/
