Our building
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In 1500 Duke Charles of Guelders bought a site in the south-eastern corner of the city of Wageningen and built a castle with garrison buildings. The fortress had to defend his territory against the neighboring archbishop of Utrecht.
In the basement of the museum one can see the remains of a castle tower. Also besides the museum there is a cross-vaulted basement of the brew house, which belonged to the castle.
In 1672 the castle was destroyed by French troops. Afterwards the then castle owner Assueer Torck restored the ruins to a residential palace as after the war the castle no longer had a defensive function. Around his palace he laid out beautiful Renaissance gardens.
More than a hundred years later, during the napoleonic occupation, the castle served as barracks for the troops. After the defeat of the French the building was severely delapidated. Eventually it was bought in 1830 by landowner Jacob Rosenik. He demolished all the ruined buildings except the residence, which he renovated into a stately villa.
In the late 19th century the castle grounds and the villa were bought by John Bowles, who had made fortune as a planter in the Dutch colonies. He refurbished the building, which he now called Villa Vada and parceled out the land for the construction of 26 large mansions. These together now form the Bowles Park.
After the city of Wageningen in the mid- 20th century had purchased the Villa Vada, it came available for the newly founded museum De Casteelse Poort (CastleGate) in 1988.
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Cross-vaulted cellar of the castle´s brew house
Drawing of the Wageningen castle, 1574
Museum De Casteelse Poort (The Castle´s Gate) today
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