Rameyen Castle
Rameyen Castle () is a castle on a lake in Gestel, part of the municipality of Berlaar, in the province of Antwerp, Belgium. It was once owned by Nicolaas Rubens, Lord of Rameyen, who died in the castle. Nicolaas was the second son of Peter Paul Rubens. The first known owner of Rameyen castle in Gestel was Jan II Berthout van Berlaer who lived in the castle in 1303. The oldest part of the castle is the square keep. This heavy tower dates to the 13th century. The keep was fitted with cannon holes in the 16th century. A beautiful castle was built around the keep by Van Immerseele and de Cock families. Boudewijn de Cock sold the castle in 1643 to Nicolaas Rubens, Lord of Rameyen, the second son of the famous painter Pieter Paul Rubens. The castle stayed as a property of the Rubens family until 1759. During the 17th century the castle underwent major restorations and remodelling but at the end of the same century the castle stood empty and decay started. The restoration took place in the 19th century when Esquire Nicolaas Joseph Alphonse de Cock came in possession of the castle. The Esquire lived in