Borgholm Castle

Last updated
Borgholm Castle
Borgholms slott
Borgholms slott.jpg
A distant view of Borgholm Castle.
Borgholm Castle
General information
Architectural styleBaroque
Town or cityBorgholm
CountrySweden
Coordinates 56°52′15″N16°38′39″E / 56.87083°N 16.64417°E / 56.87083; 16.64417
Construction started1654
Demolished14 October 1806
Design and construction
Architect(s) Nicodemus Tessin the Elder

Borgholm Castle (Swedish : Borgholms slott) in Borgholm, Sweden, is today only a ruin of the fortress that was first built in the second half of the 13th century and rebuilt many times in later centuries. [1] It is linked to Halltorp estate, to the south. The castle was destroyed in a fire on 14 October 1806.

Contents

History

The construction of the original fortress was probably ordered by King Canute I, although this is not totally certain. He reigned 1167–1195 and had fortresses built on the Swedish east coast as defence against enemies from the other side of the Baltic Sea. During the 13th to 15th centuries, additions and changes were made. For example, new towers were built, and a new and thicker wall was constructed. The fortress was damaged on a number of occasions during these centuries, including in 1361, when King Valdemar IV (Atterdag) of Denmark attacked Borgholm. [2]

Drawing of Borgholm Castle from 1634 Borgholms slott 1634, STF1921.jpg
Drawing of Borgholm Castle from 1634

During the Kalmar Union, many castles and fortresses in Sweden were damaged as a result of the ongoing conflicts between Danes and Swedes. When Gustav Eriksson became Swedish king and the union was dissolved, he, together with the sons that followed him on the throne, invested huge sums of money in repairing these buildings. It was Gustav's son John III (r. 1568–1592) who ordered the reconstruction of Borgholm into a renaissance castle. [3] During his reign, the Pahr brothers (four engineers and architects from Milan) led a significant rebuilding that took place from 1572. The castle acquired a Gothic character and became exemplary of the Italianate bastion style.

Some decades later, Sweden and Denmark fought each other in the Kalmar War. Borgholm Castle first, in 1611, surrendered to the Danish side, but was reconquered by the Swedish side later the same year. The following year, after a siege of two weeks, the commander of the Swedish defence, Peter Michelsen Hammarskiöld, had to surrender. In accordance with the treaty that followed the war, the Treaty of Knäred, Borgholm was handed back to the Swedish. [4]

The castle was in a bad shape after the war and it took until 1654 before a restoration and reconstruction would begin. This time, the castle was to be turned into a baroque palace. Charles X Gustav was the king who ordered this, and Nicodemus Tessin the Elder was the architect engaged to fulfill the king's wishes. When Charles Gustaf died in 1660, the construction stopped, only to be restarted at a slow pace during the reigns of King Charles XI and King Charles XII. In 1709, the construction was finally completed. [5]

For a hundred years, the palace was left to fall into decay. On 14 October 1806, the castle was turned into a ruin by a fire that started in the roof of the north wing. [6]

Today

The castle of today is the ruins of the 17th century baroque palace Charles X Gustav had constructed. [7] It is State-owned and managed by the National Property Board of Sweden (Swedish : Statens Fastighetsverk). [6] It is open for visitors and houses a museum. [8] [9]

The inner courtyard hosts concerts, theater performances, and other events. In the summer of 1989, Swedish pop group Roxette shot material for six music videos during a concert. One of them is "Listen to Your Heart" which became the group's second number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 later that year. [10] In July 2001, Bob Dylan played the courtyard. [11]

Notes

  1. ↑ Borgholm Slott - Official site
  2. ↑ Lundh & R udolfsson, 2000, p. 7ff.
  3. ↑ Lundh & Rudolfsson, 2000, p. 18ff.
  4. ↑ Lundh & Rudolfsson, 2000, p. 24ff.
  5. ↑ Lundh & Rudolfsson, 2000, p. 27ff.
  6. 1 2 Lundh & Rudolfsson, 2000, p. 34.
  7. ↑ Lundh & Rudolfsson, 2000, p. 4.
  8. ↑ The Early Vasas: A History of Sweden, 1523-1611. CUP Archive. p. 312. ISBN   978-1-00-129698-2.
  9. ↑ Duffy, Christopher (1996). Siege Warfare: The fortress in the early modern world, 1494-1660. Routledge. pp. 164–65. ISBN   978-0-415-14649-4.
  10. ↑ Billboard allmusic.com (Retrieved August 23, 2008)
  11. ↑ https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/7778

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy of Sweden</span> Royal institution of Sweden

The monarchy of Sweden is centered on the monarchical head of state of Sweden, which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. There have been kings in what now is the Kingdom of Sweden for more than a millennium. Originally an elective monarchy, it became a hereditary monarchy in the 16th century during the reign of Gustav Vasa, though virtually all monarchs before that belonged to a limited and small number of families which are considered to be the royal dynasties of Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sten Sture the Elder</span> Regent of Sweden (1470 to 97 & 1501 to 03)

Sten Sture the Elder was a Swedish statesman and regent of Sweden from 1470–1497 and 1501–1503. As the leader of the victorious Swedish separatist forces against the royal unionist forces during the Battle of Brunkeberg in 1471, he weakened the Kalmar Union considerably and became the effective ruler of Sweden as Lord Regent for most of his remaining life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erik Axelsson Tott</span> Dano-Swedish statesman

Erik Axelsson (Tott) (c. 1419–1481) was a Dano-Swedish statesman and regent of Sweden under the Kalmar Union, jointly with Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna in 1457 and alone from 1466 to 1467.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stockholm Palace</span> Official residence of the Swedish monarch

Stockholm Palace or the Royal Palace is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch. Stockholm Palace is on Stadsholmen, in Gamla stan in the capital, Stockholm. It neighbours the Riksdag building. The offices of the King, the other members of the Swedish royal family, and the Royal Court of Sweden are here. The palace is used for representative purposes by the King whilst performing his duties as the head of state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drottningholm Palace</span> Royal palace in Stockholm, Sweden

The Drottningholm Palace is the private residence of the Swedish royal family. Drottningholm is near the capital Stockholm. Built on the island Lovön, it is one of Sweden's Royal Palaces. It was originally built in the late 17th century, and it served as a regular summer residence of the Swedish royal court for most of the 18th century. Apart from being the private residence of the Swedish royal family, the palace is a popular tourist attraction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treaty of Knäred</span> 1613 treaty ending the Kalmar War between Denmark-Norway and Sweden

The Treaty of Knäred was signed on 21 January 1613 and ended the Kalmar War (1611–1613) between Denmark-Norway and Sweden. The peace negotiations came about under an English initiative. The peace was guaranteed by King James I of England and VI of Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akershus Fortress</span> Medieval castle in Oslo, Norway

Akershus Fortress or Akershus Castle is a medieval castle in the Norwegian capital Oslo that was built to protect and provide a royal residence for the city. Since the Middle Ages the fortress has been the namesake and centre of the main fief and later main county of Akershus, which was originally one of Norway's four main regions and which included most of Eastern Norway. The fortress itself was located within the Akershus main county until 1919, and also within the smaller Akershus sub county until 1842.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borgholm</span> Locality in Öland, Sweden

Borgholm is a city and the seat of Borgholm Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden with 4,401 inhabitants in 2020. It is located on the island of Öland in the Baltic Sea, at the Kalmar Strait-side of Öland, north of Färjestaden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalmar</span> City in Småland, Sweden

Kalmar is a city in the southeast of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 36,392 inhabitants in 2010 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of 236,399 inhabitants (2015). Kalmar is the third largest urban area in the province and cultural region of Småland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp</span> Queen consort of Sweden from 1654 to 1660

Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp was Queen of Sweden from 1654 until 1660 as the wife of King Charles X Gustav. She served as regent during the minority of her son, King Charles XI, from 1660 until 1672, and during the minority of her grandson, King Charles XII, in 1697. She also represented Charles XII during his absence in the Great Northern War from 1700 until the regency of her granddaughter Ulrika Eleonora in 1713. Hedwig Eleonora was described as a dominant personality, and was regarded as the de facto first lady of the royal court for 61 years, from 1654 until her death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gripsholm Castle</span> Building in Mariefred, Sweden

Gripsholm Castle is a castle in Mariefred, Södermanland, Sweden. It is located by lake Mälaren in south central Sweden, in the municipality of Strängnäs, about 60 km west of Stockholm. Since Gustav Vasa, Gripsholm has belonged to the Swedish Royal Family and was used as one of their residences until the 18th century. It is now a museum, but is still considered to be a palace at the disposal of the King and as such it is part of the Crown palaces in Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalmar Castle</span>

Kalmar Castle is a castle in the city Kalmar in the province of Småland in Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tre Kronor (castle)</span> Castle in Stockholm, Sweden

Tre Kronor was a castle located in Stockholm, Sweden, on the site where Stockholm Palace is today. It is believed to have been a citadel that Birger Jarl built into a royal castle in the middle of the 13th century. The name "Tre Kronor" is believed to have been given to the castle during the reign of King Magnus IV in the middle of the 14th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uppsala Castle</span> Castle in Uppsala, Sweden

Uppsala Castle is a 16th-century royal castle in the city of Uppsala, Sweden. Throughout much of its early existence, the castle played a major role in the history of Sweden. Originally constructed in 1549, the castle has been heavily remodeled, expanded, and otherwise modified. Today the structure houses the official residence of the governor of Uppsala County, various businesses, and two museums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vadstena Castle</span> Building in Vadstena, Sweden

Vadstena Castle is a former Royal Castle in Vadstena, the province of Östergötland, Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strömsholm Palace</span>

Strömsholm Palace, sometimes called Strömsholm Castle, is a Swedish royal palace. The baroque palace is built on the site of a fortress from the 1550s, located on an island in the Kolbäcksån river at the west end of Lake Mälaren. The palace has interiors from the 18th century and an important collection of Swedish paintings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borgeby Castle</span> Castle in southern Sweden

Borgeby Castle lies in Lomma Municipality, Scania in southern Sweden, beside the Kävlingeån, the largest river in Scania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willem Boy</span>

Willem Boy was a Flemish painter, sculptor, and architect active in Sweden from around 1558 until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Örbyhus Castle</span>

Örbyhus Castle is a castle in Tierp Municipality, Sweden. It lies some 12 kilometres east of European route E4, approximately halfway between Uppsala and Gävle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Älvsborg</span> Castle in Gothenburg, Sweden

Älvsborg, now generally known as Old Älvsborg or Älvsborg Castle to distinguish it from the later New Älvsborg and Älvsborg Fortress, was a medieval castle situated on the rocky outcrop known as Klippan, on the south bank of the Göta Älv river within the urban area of the modern city of Gothenburg. It was demolished in the late seventeenth century, but some of its ruins are still visible today, close to the southern pylon of the Älvsborg Bridge.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.