Heerlijkheid Mariënwaerdt is a country estate in the Betuwe (Netherlands) that was built centuries ago on the remains of a Norbertine abbey. It has been in the hands of the same family for 280 years and has remained virtually unchanged over time. Agriculture and cattle breeding are carried out in a sustainable and organic way. The harvest is used to make a whole range of organic treats, from jam, honey and syrup, biscuits, farmhouse cheese and dressings to fruit juices and even beer! The estate is also popular as an event and meeting location. There is a pancake house and you can even stay there. Every year, the food festival 'Landgoedfair' on the estate attracts a lot of visitors.
The abbey on which Heerlijkheid Mariënwaerdt was built was founded in 1129 and stood on the border of four Dutch provinces, a danger zone. There was a lot of fighting and plundering. The abbey was destroyed and rebuilt several times. In 1567, this came to an end when the Brederode gang destroyed the abbey for good. For 100 years, the estate was for sale until the Earl of Bylandt, ancestor of the Van Verschuer family, bought it in 1734 and built Mariënwaerdt House. Today it is already the ninth generation of the Van Verschuer family that manages the estate!
‘Mariënwaerdt' means Island of Mary. A 'waard' is the name for a piece of land enclosed by rivers. 'Heerlijkheid' stands for all the privileges the lord received when purchasing the estate: hunting, leasing and fishing rights and the management of the surrounding land and waterways.
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