The sumptuous collection of secular silverware of the Château de Seneffe was lovingly created by a private Belgian collector, Mr Claude D’Allemagne, and his wife, Mrs Juliette Rémy, who donated and then bequeathed to the Ministry of the French Community of Belgium the remarkable items in silver they had patiently amassed throughout their lives.
Wishing to both preserve and add to this legacy, for a number of years the French Community pursued a policy of acquiring silverware in order to supplement the Claude and Juliette D’Allemagne collection. It prioritised the purchase of works made locally, without forgetting the French and English silverware which constitute the other strengths of the collection, whose exceptional European character was also emphasised.
Donations, legacies and acquisitions have now led to the formation of one of the largest collections of secular silverware in Belgium.
Discover the interior architecture of the stately home as designed in the 18th century: the reception areas, the private living areas and the corridors used by the servants.
There are over 500 items from the silverware collection to admire (ewers, bowls, beauty spot boxes, sponge boxes, snuffboxes, chocolatières, tea-pots, coffee-pots, bottle-coolers, terrines, cups, goblets, candlesticks and candle-holders, chandeliers, candelabras, religious objects and so on), displayed in recreated scenes to demonstrate the way they were used more effectively.
Attend the women’s gathering and discover the filmed show which evokes the atmosphere of the salons. Find your way into the ladies’ garde-robe and find out the secrets of their beauty. Follow the footsteps of the property’s first owner as he hunts for fabrics and objects from the Orient, enter his curio cabinet, crammed full of Chinese vases, roots and plants with strange names, preparations with amazing properties (liquid from a mummy, unicorn’s horn powder, etc.), stuffed animals from remote continents, scientific instruments and other objects.
Again, why not play billiards, or another game? And that includes love, which has many a secret and a partiality to reveal in the private rooms.
Grandeur & Intimicy
Permanent exhibition
Informations
00 32 (0)64 55 89 92 ----------
Cost
Adults: 5 €
Seniors: 4 €
Children under the age of 12 and people with reduced mobility: free ----------
The Castle is open every day apart from working Mondays, from 10 am to 6 pm.
Last admissions at 5.30 pm.
Closed on 1 January and 24, 25 and 31 December.
Entry free on the first Sunday of every month.
The tasting room, ‘Les Saveurs des Lumières’, is open on Sundays and on public holidays from 2 to 6 pm. ----------
The Park and Gardens are open all the year round, except in bad weather, from 8 am to 8 pm between April and September and from 8 am to 4 pm between October and March.
Access to the Park and Gardens is free of charge.
