Anvaing Castle

Anvaing Castle - Château de Anvaing, Frasnes-lez-Anvaing, Hainaut Province, Wallonia, Kingdom of Belgium.

Anveng Castle is a Renaissance building built by Jacques de Bube, Lord of Leuze, in 1561. It stands majestically at the intersection of three tree-lined avenues converging in front of a gate leading to the main courtyard. The castle has undergone numerous modifications over the centuries, the most notable being the addition of a storey to the stonework of the two main façades around 1820.

In 1781, the estate was acquired by Count Augustin de Lannoy and has remained in the ownership of his direct descendants ever since.

May 28, 1940, marked a significant date in the history of Anveng and Belgium. The castle was occupied by the headquarters of the German Sixth Army under General von Reichenau. Faced with the overwhelming technical superiority of the invaders, the Belgian army's resistance was crushed. King Leopold III was forced to make the difficult decision to cease hostilities. General Desrusso, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, was dispatched to negotiate the terms of the cessation of hostilities. The army's capitulation was signed at 10:00 a.m. in the castle's dining hall.