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66 Route 6. GHENT. N.W. Quarters:
superbiam Gandensium’ and thereafter a residence of the Counts of
Flanders (comp. p. 37). Here Edward Ill. and his Queen Philippa
were sumptuously entertained by Jacques van Artevelde in 1339
(comp. p. 56). From 1407 until 1778 the palace was the seat of
the Council of Flanders, appointed by Philippe le Bon of Burgundy.
In 1798 the castle was sold and until 1884 it was used as a factory.
It was subsequently purchased by the city, laid open by the removal
of adjoining buildings, and restored to its former appearance, and
the whole now affords an almost unique picture of an early medizyal
fortress. Curator, A. van Werveke.
The fortress occupies an oval site, 220 ft. long by about 165 ft.
broad. The entrance is defended by a projecting Gate House, with
octagonal towers. Above the Romanesque portal is a Latin in-
scription of 1180, and higher up is a cruciform window. Beyond
the doorway we enter the large castle-yard, which surrounds the
inner castle and is enclosed by the Ouler Wall, with its semicir-
cular towers and connecting passage. To the right of the entrance
are the cellars mentioned at p. 67; to the left the ticket-office (adm.
see p. 50), where also a printed guide is on sale (1940; in French
and Flemish; 50c.). The numbers posted up in the castle refer
to this guide. We ascend the staircase marked No, 4 (to the left)
to the passage along the outer wall, follow this to the left to the
gate-house, and mount the winding stair (No. 6) to the platform
over the gate. Hence we have a good view of the E. front of the
main castle, the projecting lower story of which is surmounted by
four fine Romanesque arches. We may continue our perambulation
of the wall along the side next the river.
The central portion of the inner castle is the Donjon or
Meeste-Toren, a massive structure of four stories, the foundations
of which date from the 11th century. On the N.W. side, next the
river, this is adjoined by the palace, or residence of the owner of
the castle. The entrance is on the W. side, to the right of the
above-mentioned staircase No. 4. A flight of steps leads to the
Reception Hall (No. 16), the groined vaulting of which is supported
by two columns. In the floor of the adjoining room is an opening
affording a view of a dungeon (Flem. ‘Put’), 18 ft. deep. Thence
we ascend to the sleeping-apartments of the count (No. 21) and
countess (No. 20), the former situated above the reception-hall.
We pass through the N.W. tower, then cross the open gallery
(No. 22) to the upper floor of the donjon, whence a winding
stair immediately to the left ascends to the flat roof. This point
commands an admirable survey of the castle as well as a view
of the town. After noticing a store-room for the stones to be
used in defence, we descend by a stair at the S.W. corner and re-
enter the upper hall of the donjon. This handsome Romanesque
apartment, with round-arched windows on all four sides, was used
as the count’s dwelling before the erection of the Palas. The next |
