Mattenkot
THE ABANDONED SCHOOL IN BELGIUM
The ‘Mattenkot’ is an old monastery in Vilvoorde, Belgium. The building had several users during the years. It was built in 1644 and enlarged in 1707.
On 26 March 1623 Father Petrus Malpé, prior of the Dominicans in Brussels, signed an agreement with the city of Vilvoorde to set up a vicarage for eight clergy and a Latin college. Construction of the church started in 1640; the works lasted only two years. The two monastery wings were built in the next years. During the years many new wings were added, and old wings were demolished or rebuilt.
During the French revolution the school buildings were arranged as barracks for the army. The years after the war the building is used for more commercial purposes; it was used as a cotton factory, a brewery and as storage for the train company. In the 19th century the building housed a basket weaving company. This explains the name ‘Mattenkot’.
1932
In 1932 the site gets back his original purpose, it was used again as a school. The technical school named ‘Rijkstechnisch Instituut van Vilvoorde’ used the Mattenkot until its abandonment in 2002. The building got a protected status in 1978 and was restored in 2009. I visited the site in 2007.
