Photo : Havang(nl) / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Château de Liettres
The chronicle of Molinet mentions in 1479 a castle called Liettes, newly built by Simon de Luxembourg, provost of the church of Saint-Omer, held by soldiers of the French party. Built on an artificial platform in the marshy valley of the Laquette, which fed its moats, the castle of Liettres, in the Pas-de-Calais, consisted of four wings forming a square, with strong, projecting round towers. The fortress was burned in 1542 by the troops of the Duke of Vendôme.
Acquired by Jean de Zomberghe, it has remained with his descendants ever since, through the Catris family in the 17th century and the Théry de Norbécourt and Halewyn families in the 18th. As its military role faded, the castle was profoundly transformed: around 1720 the residence was rebuilt, with a fine classical brick and stone façade on the courtyard. In the 19th century the remaining eastern towers and walls were razed, and the whole was restored, including the machicolated wall walk of the great south-west tower.
