Nicodemus Tessins design
Clausholm Castle
Clausholm Castle is one of Denmark's finest Baroque buildings. The castle's origins appear to go back to the 12th century but it is first mentioned in the 14th century when its owner, Lage Ovesen, was one of the leaders of the Jute uprising against Valdemar Atterdag. At the time, Clausholm was a four-winged building surrounded by a moat. But when the first Danish primeminister, Grand Chancellor Conrad von Reventlow, acqui ...Kaggeholm Castle
The site where Kaggeholm Palace is located was first mentioned in a document in 1287. During the 1500s the farm was owned by members of the families Grip and Bååt. The farm was originally called Vettersjö, but was named by Swedish Count Lars Kagg (1595-1661) who bought the manor during 1647. Kagg was a political ally of King Gustavus Adolphus, a member of the Privy Council of Sweden and Field Marshal duri ...Sturefors Castle
Sturefors Castle is a three-storey stone mansion designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger. It was completed in 1704 under the possession of statesman Carl Piper. Today Sturefors is owned by Count Bielke and is not open to the public.King Charles' Church
Karl (Charles) XI is perhaps the Swedish king that most enjoyed spending time in Kungsör and he had this church built for the Royal Manor. It took from 1690 to 1700 to build the church but unfortunately the king never saw it when it was finished. He died in 1697 when a lot of work remained to be done on the interior. To mark the bicentennial of his death, a large gilded copper crown was mounted on the church dome in ...Köping Church
Köping Church dates from the 1440s, but it got the current appearance in the late 1600s. The reconstruction was made according the design of Nicodemus Tessin the Younger and inaugurated in 1706. The altarpiece is made in Germany around 1520. The font is made of sandstone in Svealand about the same time.Vällinge Chapel
The Vällinge chapel, completed in 1679, was a former church of the local ironworks. The Baroque-style chapel was designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger.Kägleholm Castle Ruins
Kägleholm Castle was Built in the 1670s by chancellor Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie. It was designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder. History of the castle is short, since in 1712 it burned down and was never rebuilt. Today only cellar ruins remain of the castle.Gripenberg Castle
Gripenberg Castle (Gripenbergs slott) is a wooden manor house. It is considered to be the biggest wooden castle in Sweden and one of the oldest that remain today as well. The castle was built in 1663 as a huntig seat for the field marshal Carl Gustaf Wrangel. Its architect is unknown, but there is some reason to believe, that it might have been Nicodemus Tessin the Elder. It is assumed that the castle"s name is deri ...Järlåsa Church
Järlåsa Church has had at least two predecessors. The earliest one was a medieval stone church whose ruins still remains c. 500 metres north of the church. At some point it was replaced with a wooden church, which was however in such a bad shape in the 17th century that it was replaced with the presently visible, octagonal church and demolished in the early 18th century. The church may have been designed by Nicodemus T ...Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings
Historic Site of the week
Monte d'Accoddi
Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.
The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.
The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.
Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.
The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.
The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.