Douaire Farm

Douaire Farm

The Douaire Farm is an old Brabant farm transformed into a cultural and recreational space.

In 1640 there was already talk of the "House and tenure du Douaire" which belonged to the Lords of Limelette. A locality since the early 16th century, the Douaire was probably part of estate of the Lord of Limal, endowed to his wife Jeanne de Limelette in the 15th century.

Etymology

The word "douaire" (dowry) (from the medieval Latin "dotarium", derived from the classic Latin "dos", "dotis") meaning either "the heritage insured by the husband to his wife in case of survival", or "the land whose income goes to the priest".

It is attested as "Dowaire" in 1529, "Douwaire" in 1666 and "Douwair" in 1710.

Architecture

The farm is a typical Brabant construction of the 17th and 18th centuries.

The farm has a square plan including:
* to the west, the "lodge" and farmhouse in the shape of an "L" (now housing the library);
* to the north, a barn dating from the 18 century (auditorium);
* to the east, a cowshed and stables capped with a tiled roof (toy library);
* stables in the south (petanque club).

The buildings are built around a square inner courtyard.

This farm had become the largest of the town by the mid-19th century, but was abandoned in 1962 until 1971, when it was purchased by the City to restore it. Entrusted to Raymond Lemaire, work began in the mid-80s.

Masonry and roofing

Covered with slate, the farm is built in red brick and bluestone, with a corner linkage in ferruginous sandstone at the corner of one of the sheds built in the 19th century.

Most of the buildings are covered with a saddle roof, except the barn which is covered with a croupack and the lodge which is covered with a single ridge saddle.

The western facade of the barn is pierced by a large blue stone entrance with harped piers whose bow basket handle is adorned with two moustache-shaped facade anchors and topped with three oculi.

The barn and the main house have spiked gables.

Tooth frets

The facades of the farm are also adorned in places with brick tooth frets.

Facade anchors

The facades of the farm have a large number of anchors with a variety of shapes: vertical anchors, X, Y, hook, horseshoe, rhombus and even "mustache" (above the entrance to the barn).

Art and Culture

Since 1989, the library, the toy library and several cultural associations have found their headquarters. The Cultural Center occupies the barn for exhibitions, shows, concerts and conferences.

Three works of art complete this cultural center:
* a stained glass window decorating the barn door
* a sculpture, "A Stone For My City" that stands since 1993 at the edge of the Chemin de la Grange.
* A set of six totems, "Urban Faces", on the east side of the barn.

"A Stone For My City"

A plaque placed at the foot of the statue displays:
«" A stone for my city "
Véronique Choppinet
Of a stone bought by the city of Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve
the artist made this sculpture public.
She offers it to the inhabitants and to all the enthusiasts
of art that supported it.
November 1993 »

"Urban Faces"

Southeast are six terracotta totems made by six young members of the association "La Chaloupe", guided by the Louvain-la-Neuve sculptor, Gigi Warny.

Through these totems, representing towers or buildings of different sizes and colors, the young people evoke the subway-work-sleep city life, the city with all that it has to offer, both dangerous and the stuff of dreams.

Ferme du Douaire
Avenue des Combattants 2
1340 Ottignies