The college (a Catholic school for lower and secondary education) was founded in 1863. After a dispute with a liberal city council, Cardinal Sterckx bought the Baroque Hof van Prant, which was converted into the school. The Hof van Prant was a grand town house built by Cosmas of Prant (Baron Blaasveld, died 1650), one of the councillors of the Great Council (the regional ruling authority) in the first half of the 17th century. Cosmas of Prant was also nine times elected burgemester of Mechelen.