Västerås Castle was built in the 13th century. The castle taken over by Gustav Vasa was in poor condition after battles and sieges so during the middle of the 16th century he altered and extended it. In 1544 the government gave the Crown Prince, Prince Erik, his own quarters in the castle, “The Young Man’s Apartment”. Later the castle was to be his prison.
From 14 June 1573 to 16 October 1574 Erik XIV was imprisoned in Västerås castle. He sat in “the dark prison”, always separated from his wife, Karin Månsdotter and his child. The dethroned king moved to Örbyhus shortly before his death, from poisoned pea soup says the story, but later his body was brought back to Västerås for burial in the cathedral.
Västmanland’s county museum is today housed in Västerås Castle including the county archive, library and administration. The museums objectives are to deepen knowledge of Västmanländ’s cultural heritage, to facilitate and encourage interest, to deepen insight into the past and thereby enrich perspectives of the present and the future.
References:The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.