A Leda and the Swan statue, depicting the classical myth of Leda and the Swan, was from 1611 to 1795 a major landmark in Copenhagen, Denmark. The statue topped a tall column located just off the entrance to the naval Arsenal Harbour.
The monument was built in 1611 during the reign of King Christian IV. Lauritz de Thurah's Den Danske Vitruvius (1st volume, 1746) incorrectly states that the statue was brought home from Kalmar as war loot. [1]
The monument was built on an artificial islet with walled sides, on a shallow-watered sandbar known as the Mermaid Bar due to a particularly high frequency of reported mermaid sightings, just outside the entrance to a new naval harbour, the Arsenal Harbour which was completed about the same time. [2]
In 1795, the monument was removed when increasing ship traffic in the harbour made it necessary to dig out the area which, by then, was only one metre deep. [1]
The fate of the statue is uncertain. Some reports state that shortly before 1900 it was to be found on a garden lot at Frederiksberg Allé. [1]
Kastellet is a citadel located in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is one of the best preserved fortresses in Northern Europe. It is constructed in the form of a pentagon with bastions at its corners. Kastellet was continuous with the ring of bastioned ramparts which used to encircle Copenhagen but of which only the ramparts of Christianshavn remain today.
Slotsholmen is an island in the harbour of Copenhagen, Denmark, and part of Copenhagen Inner City. The name is taken from the successive castles and palaces located on the island since Bishop Absalon constructed the city's first castle on the island in 1167 at the site where Christiansborg Palace lies today.
Naval Station Holmen is one of several naval stations of the Royal Danish Navy, supplementing the two Danish naval bases in Frederikshavn and Korsør.
Rosenborg Castle Gardens is the oldest and most visited park in central Copenhagen, Denmark. Established in the early 17th century as the private gardens of King Christian IV's Rosenborg Castle, the park also contains several other historical buildings, including Rosenborg Barracks, home to the Royal Guards, as well as a high number of statues and monuments. The park also holds art exhibitions and other events such as concerts in the summer.
Islands Brygge is a harbourfront area in central Copenhagen, Denmark, located on the north-western coast of Amager. The neighbourhood is noted for its waterfront park Havneparken, which is one of the most popular areas along the Copenhagen harbourfront and the location of one of the Copenhagen Harbour Baths.
Nyboder is a historic row house district of former Naval barracks in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was planned and first built by Christian IV to accommodate a need for housing for the personnel of the rapidly growing Royal Danish Navy and their families during that time. While the area is still commonly associated with the name of its founder as one of his numerous building projects around Copenhagen, the Nyboder seen today was in fact, except for a single row of houses in Sankt Pauls Gade, built from 1757.
Langelinie is a pier, promenade and park in central Copenhagen, Denmark, and home of The Little Mermaid statue. The area has for centuries been a popular destination for excursions and strolls in Copenhagen. Most cruise ships arriving in Copenhagen also berth at Langelinie Pier.
The Danish War Museum is a museum of military history and arms on Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located in Christian IV's Arsenal, from which it takes its former name. On 1 July 2018, the name was changed from the Royal Danish Arsenal Museum to The Danish War Museum, in order to make it easier for guest to discern the nature of the museum.
Ørstedsparken is a public park in central Copenhagen, Denmark. One in a series of parks which were laid out on the grounds of the old fortification ring after it was decommissioned in the 1870s, the park still retains elements from the old fortifications in its topography—a section of the moat now serve as an elongated lake and former bastions appear in the landscape as small hills. The park is named for the brothers Ørsted, the politician and jurist Anders Sandøe Ørsted, and the physicist Hans Christian Ørsted, who both are commemorated with monuments in the park.
Holmen is a water-bound neighbourhood in Copenhagen, Denmark, occupying the former grounds of the Royal Naval Base and Dockyards. In spite of its name, deceptively in singular, Holmen is a congregation of small islands, forming a north-eastern extension of Christianshavn between Zealand and the northern tip of Amager.
Gammelholm is a predominantly residential neighbourhood in the city centre of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is bounded by the Nyhavn canal, Kongens Nytorv, Holmens Kanal, Niels Juels Gade and the waterfront along Havnegade. For centuries, the area was the site of the Royal Naval Shipyard, known as Bremerholm, but after the naval activities relocated to Nyholm, it came under residential redevelopment in the 1860s and 1870s. The new neighbourhood was planned by Ferdinand Meldahl and has also been referred to as "Meldahl's Nine Streets". Apart from the buildings which face Kongens Nytorv, which include the Royal Danish Theatre and Charlottenborg Palace, the area is characterized by homogeneous Historicist architecture consisting of perimeter blocks with richly decorated house fronts.
Søren Kierkegaards Plads is a harbourside public square on Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark, named after Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. It occupies a strip of waterfront between the Black Diamond, whose main entrance faces the square, and the Frederiksholm Canal. Away from the water, the square is faced by Christian IV's Brewhouse as well as his old arsenal, now housing the Royal Military Museum. The thoroughfare Christians Brygge runs through the square which is connected to the water by "ghats" which also serve as seating for spectators for the occasional performances on a floating stage in the harbour basin.
The Royal Library Garden, often referred to simply as the Library Garden, is a small, somewhat hidden garden between the Royal Library, the Tøjhus Museum, ChristianIV's Supply Depot and Christiansborg Palace on Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It has a reputation for being one of the most tranquil spots in the city centre.
Christian IV's Arsenal, is a historic building on Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built by Christian IV of Denmark in 1604 as part of a grand scheme for the construction of a new naval harbour. The arsenal, along with several other buildings, surrounded the harbour basin which was connected to the main harbour by a narrow canal. Later, when ships became too large to enter the harbour, the fleet moved to Bremerholm and the decommissioned naval harbour was later filled in.
The Ivar Huitfeldt Column is a monument at Langelinie in Copenhagen, Denmark, built to commemorate the death of Admiral Ivar Huitfeldt and his men from HDMS Dannebroge, which exploded and sank in the Battle of Køge Bat during the Great Northern War. The monument was constructed in 1886 to a design by Vilhelm Dahlerup. Ferdinand Edvard Ring was responsible for the statue of the Roman goddess of victory, Victoria, and for the reliefs, while Carl Brummer undertook the monument's architectural design.
Events from the year 1795 in Denmark.
Holmens Kanal is a short street in central Copenhagen. Part of the main thoroughfare of the city centre, it extends from Kongens Nytorv for one block to a junction with a statue of Niels Juel where it turns right towards Holmens Bro while the through traffic continues straight along Niels Juels Gade. The street was originally a canal, hence the name, but was filled in the 1860s. Today it is dominated by bank and government buildings.
Nordre Toldbod is a waterfront area in Copenhagen, Denmark, located at the north end of Larsens Plads and just south of Kastellet. It takes its name after the custom house or toldbod which used to be located in the area. Most of the historic buildings in the area were torn down in 1973 when the site was redeveloped but its central waterfront space has remained intact and features a number of structures which bear testament to its former use. Among the modern buildings in the area are the headquarters of Mærsk and the Danish Energy Agency. The area is adjacent to Churchill and Langelinie Parks.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Christians Brygge is a waterfront and street in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It runs from the mouth of Slotsholmen Canal in the north to Langebro Bridge in the south where it turns into Kalvebod Brygge. Its northern end, which is located on the small isle of Slotsholmen, is connected to Niels Juels Gade and then Holmens Kanal by Christian IV's Bridge. Christians Brygge The road section is part of Ring 2. The name refers to Christian IV, king of Denmark during the first half of the 17th century, who constructed several buildings at the site, including the Arsenal and Christian IV's Brewhouse as well as nearby Børsen. Other landmarks along the quay include the Royal Danish Library and the mixed-use building BLOX, home to the Danish Architecture Centre.