Project « A place for relaxation and a seat of power: the origins of Mariemont under Mary of Hungary »

The establishment, construction and landscaping of the hunting lodge on the edge of Morlanwelz wood for Mary of Hungary, Governess General of the former Low Countries under the reign of Charles V, is already a well-researched topic. However, the place and role of Mariemont alongside Binche palace, transformed for the regent at the same time by Jacques Dubrœucq, merits re-examination. Because Binche and Mariemont were not simply places where the court could relax; they were also “seats of power” intended to reflect the might and glory of the House of Habsburg in our local area. The havoc wreaked by the French campaign in 1554, which proved fatal for Binche, should not overshadow the prestige of these residences and their illustrious, though short lived, court life.

Main partners : Prof. Jean-Marie Cauchies (Royal Academy of Belgium), Jean-Paul Hoyois (Hannonia), Prof. Krista De Jonge (KULeuven), Prof. Gustaaf Janssens (KULeuven), Prof. José Eloy Hortal Muñoz (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos – Madrid)…