The castle of Vervoz

 

The site at Vervoz contains much more than the castle, which is the main feature. The grounds include some remarkable trees and there is a walled kitchen garden and a pavillion, as well as good-quality traditionally built structures and a country pond, which all contribute to the aesthetics of the location. An irregular wall of bonded limestone – a material common to the whole of the site – built in the 19th century, links all of the buildings on the edge of the water. Behind this wall, or along its extension, between the 16th and 20th centuries, were built the blacksmith's house and his forge, two farms, a dwelling, the castle and its outbuildings, as well as a neo-Gothic seigniorial chapel. The castle is separated by a gate at the back of an enclosed courtyard and is bordered symmetrically by outhouses. The current appearance of the house, whose core is probably older, dates from the 18th century, while the outhouses were partly rebuilt in the 19th century.

This group of buildings has great architectural and landscaping coherence, yet it is not the first structure to occupy the site, which has been inhabited since Gallo-Roman times. Begun at the end of the 19th century, archaeological research has enabled a roadside group of buildings along the route of the road to be identified, linking Tongres to Arlon, complete with shrine and traditional amenities, rounded out by a unique funereal group of buildings. However, this Roman complex is located outside the perimeter of the listed site.

Listed: 26-05-1986

Exceptional heritage site of Wallonia