Information
The Château of Modave (also known as the Château des Comtes de Marchin) was built in the thirteenth century in what was then the Principality of Liège. In the seventeenth century the medieval fortress underwent extensive restoration, in the course of which it was given a classical façade. The Château of Modave is therefore an important example of a country house built in the style of the High Baroque in the Southern Netherlands.
The château is unique because of its well-preserved historical interiors with furniture from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. More than 25 rooms are decorated with sculpted paneling, tapestries, and large paintings. A prominent feature of the decorations is the seventeenth-century stucco work by the Southern Netherlandish artist Jan-Christiaen Hansche. He decorated the vestibule with the family tree of the Counts of Marchin, including the relevant coats of arms. The ground floor rooms are decorated with scenes from the life of Hercules and the first-floor decorations are based on the theme of the four seasons.