Binche Palace

About

Binche Palace (French: Palais de Binche) was a royal residence located in Binche, in today's Belgian province of Hainaut, Wallonia. The medieval castle and subsequent Renaissance palace served as residence for the counties of Hainaut, the dukes of Burgundy and the Habsburg rules of the Netherlands. The palace was built between 1546 and 1549 by order of Queen Mary of Hungary, governor of the Netherlands, and was one of the first Renaissance palaces in the Low Countries, intent to rival the French Palace of Fontainebleau. It was destroyed by soldiers of King Henry II of France in 1554. Nowadays, only some medieval walls and foundations of the castle and palace remain.

Medieval origins: Binche Castle: Baldwin IV, Count of Hainaut, also known as Baldwin the Builder, constructed the first castle in Binche in the 12th century. At the same time, he Surrounded the city by large walls, which are almost necessarily preserved till modern times. The château was known as the "Château de la Salles" during the 15th century. Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, restored the castle in 1461. Margaret of York, widow of Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy, received Binche as a dowry. She...