A short history of the Val Duchesse

Upon the death of Duke Henry III of Brabant in 1261, his widow, Adelaide of Burgundy, decided to create a place of peace and devotion near the Chapel of Saint Anne in the hamlet of Auderghem to overcome her grief. Thus, she founded a priory of Dominican sisters, which was named "Val Duchesse" in homage to her nobility and its geographical location on the banks of the Woluwe.

This convent on the edge of the Sonian Forest quickly prospered and became a significant landowner. Spared by wars and prosperous during the first three centuries of its existence, it was pillaged and burned in 1562, forcing the sisters to flee to Brussels. In 1566, and again in 1578, the sisters had to seek refuge once more. The monastery was later pillaged by various armies occupying present-day Belgium during the 17th century.

Peace and prosperity returned during the Austrian era, starting in 1713. The sisters began to rebuild their monastery and restore their way of life. However, by decree of Emperor Joseph II of Austria in May 1783, the closure of the monastery was ordered. Despite a brief return starting in 1790, the priory was banned in 1796 by the French Revolutionaries before being sold. The buildings were gradually destroyed.

On October 21, 1903, Charles Dietrich, a stockbroker and vice-consul of Norway, revived the domain by purchasing it. Under the direction of architect de Vigne, restoration and expansion work began, transforming the castle into a sumptuous residence, tastefully decorated and furnished. The park was redesigned by landscape architect Louis Breydel, making the domain one of the most beautiful vacation spots around Brussels. In 1930, upon his death, Charles Dietrich donated the 25-hectare domain to the Royal Donation.

When Charles Dietrich acquired the domain in 1903, only one wing of the castle, part of the enclosure wall, and some rural buildings still bore witness to the site's occupation. The building now known as the 'Priory' is the result of the reconstruction of agricultural dependencies (stables, sheds, barns, and pigsties). In 1915, Charles Dietrich commissioned architect Albert Roosenboom to rebuild and expand the architectural ensemble. This is when the hemicycle resting on six columns marking the entrance appeared, with the left part housing the living room on the ground floor and the bedrooms upstairs. To the right of the main entrance, he executed other annexes, ending with a vaulted covered passage. Behind the building, Charles Dietrich replaced the old cemetery with a Renaissance-style compartmentalized garden.

The current castle, the result of numerous transformations over time, presents various architectural styles. The south wing, in Theresian style, appears to be the oldest (1780) and would be a remnant of the old priory, erected under the impulse of Marie-Cécile de Neufforge. Inside, on the ground floor, the hall is remarkable for the quality of the marbles used to cover the walls and floors (green marble from Aosta, white marble from Carrara, and pink marble from Portugal). There is also a Louis XVI-inspired living room, the golden salon, featuring the monograms of Charles Dietrich and Edmond de Vigne. To the right of the Golden Salon, the Dutch room is covered with blue Delft ceramic tiles. The five leaded glass windows are equipped with rondels illustrating the Proverbs of Jacob Cats. Facing the Golden Salon is Charles Dietrich's library or office, in neo-Flemish Renaissance style. The canvas-covered walls are adorned with numerous motifs dedicated to the theme of fortune, alluding to his money-related profession. The fireplace hood is decorated with stars, and we can read "Posteo-non-sequor," the baron's motto: "I come after (but) do not follow." In other words: I come after the nuns, but I take a different direction. Finally, the Flemish Room is characterized by its oak paneling, and its bays opening onto the park are adorned with stained glass illustrating La Fontaine's sayings and fables. A sculpted white stone arcade separates this room from the Gothic salon.

In 1956 and 1957, the Royal Donation made the castle available to the Intergovernmental Conference on the Common Market and Euratom. The conference brought together negotiators from Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium. These meetings marked a significant moment in the history of the creation of the European Union, with Belgium playing a key role in reconciling different visions for Europe's future. The Val Duchesse meetings, chaired by Paul-Henri Spaak, then Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, produced the texts of the European treaties, signed on March 25, 1957, in Rome, which created the European Economic Community and Euratom.