Rear View of Berckenrode Castle in Heemstede after the Fire

1747

When William IV was elevated to stadtholder of Holland in 1747, the inhabitants of Berckenrode Castle held a celebration. The castle’s owner, Matthias Lestevenon, was an Orangist and would later become one of William IV’s advisers. The bonfire that was lit on 4 May set the castle ablaze and destroyed it. Lestevenon later rebuilt the castle in a new style.