Who wouldn’t like to get a chance to boast that the picture of his house is now viewed by tourists and locals in the capital’s National Gallery? Today it is possible as the last residence of a known Flemish Baroque star Peter Paul Rubens is on sale.

1. P. Rubens is one of the known influential artists of his time. The majority of his artworks are great portraits and altarpieces, thematic paintings, and colorful landscapes full of sensuality as well as movement.

He spent the final five years of his life in a newly-bought central Belgium’s Elewijt Castle, which is in a 30-minute drive from Brussels. Today the place is commonly referred to as Castle Het Steen & Rubens Kasteel and is for sale for € 4.000.000. Rubens loved the place and depicted it in several known paintings like ‘A View of Het Steen in the Early Morning’.

There are three buildings that make up a castle:

•    A 4-bedroom villa;
•    A 6-bedroom sandstone residence that also has a private chapel with a pretty high ceiling;
•    A tower complex that is a combination of an old history and a modern garage for 4 cars.

The area also includes a moat and drawbridge, the things that are created to impress guests of the place. A quite sound question is why buying an old castle at the cost of a Manhattan apartment?

The answer is as simple as this: is there a Manhattan place old and spacious enough to include ornate fireplaces, stone arches, parquet floors, and intricate tiles all in one? Is there a place in Manhattan where Rubens lived and created his late masterpieces?

Today the total number of residence’s rooms is 33, plus there are more than 20 acres of meadows around. After purchasing, a new owner is free to implement any renovations into the castle or just some of its parts. Previous owners (1955–2009) have restored the place.

However, a would-be buyer should also take into account that there is a high annual upkeep, too. Castle experts like Christoph von Schenck inform that an annual upkeep of the castle of this size will probably cost nearly € 102.250 per year, plus the services of a gardener involved.

It is expected that a person, who can afford to spend € 4.000.000 on a new place with a historic past to live in, won’t have any money-related upkeep issues.