Fredensborg Palace, Fredensborg, Denmark

Fredensborg Palace was built as a hunting seat for King Frederik IV by the architect J.C. Krieger. Construction began in 1719. The main building was first used in 1722 and the chapel in 1726. It was rebuilt and expanded during the reigns of King Christian VI and of King Frederik V and his Queen, Juliane Marie, by the architects N.Eigtved, L. de Thurah and C.F. Harsdorff.

After Queen Juliane Marie’s death in 1796, the palace was rarely used. It was not until the reign of King Christian IX and Queen Louise that the palace again became the setting for the Royal Family’s life for lengthy periods. “Europe’s parents-in-law” gathered their daughters and sons-in-law, all of whom represented many of Europe’s royal and princely houses, at Fredensborg Palace every summer. Now the Royal Couple use the palace for three months in the spring and three in the autumn. Fredensborg Palace is often the setting for important events in the life of the Royal Family.

The palace gardens cover just under 300 acres and were originally designed by J.C. Krieger. It was reorganised by N. Jardin in the 1760s and has since been adapted frequently to the changing tastes of the times. Today, the main features of the original garden have been recreated. Most of the sculptures in the garden are by the great Nordic neo-classical sculptor, J. Wiedewelt. In the “Valley of the Norsemen”, there are 68 sandstone figures of Norwegian and Faroese farmers and fishermen. These figures were originally carved by the sculptor J.G. Grund. They were re-carved at the end of the 1900s from original casts.

In 1995, an orangery was built adjacent to the Palace kitchen garden. It serves as storage for tender plants in the winter, and flowers are grown here to decorate the various palaces.Fredensborg Palace and church are open to the public through guided tours. There is an admission fee. Fredensborg’s vegetable garden and orangery are open to the public through paid admission to Fredensborg. The palace garden, including the Valley of the Norsemen, is open to the public without an admission fee year-round, 24 hours a day.

References:

Kongehuset.dk

User Reviews

Adarsh naik (2 years ago)
Must visit place ! Had some real fun with my friend here

Kas Radogad (3 years ago)
Beautiful castle and park belonging to the royal family. It's always lovely to make a walk there!

J EB (3 years ago)
Its beautiful in the dark too! Sadly the Queen was not in. Perhaps she was mingling with her subjects in a nearby castle...

Christian Larsen (3 years ago)
The Queen lives here! The park is really nice and the walk along the lake is beautiful, in all seasons! I especially enjoy the colours of the trees in the fall. The palace garden is definitely worth a visit. The royal guard is on duty here, and you can see them patrolling the palace.

Perri Brereton (3 years ago)
Queen Margaret of Denmark's Summer Palace is the highlight & if you are there prior to midday you wil see the Changing of her Guard ... well worth the pretty drive. Delightful village .. fabulous bakery

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Royal Palace of Naples

Royal Palace of Naples was one of the four residences near Naples used by the Bourbon Kings during their rule of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1734-1860): the others were the palaces of Caserta, Capodimonte overlooking Naples, and the third Portici, on the slopes of Vesuvius.

Construction on the present building was begun in the 17th century by the architect Domenico Fontana. Intended to house the King Philip III of Spain on a visit never fulfilled to this part of his kingdom, instead it initially housed the Viceroy Fernando Ruiz de Castro, count of Lemos. By 1616, the facade had been completed, and by 1620, the interior was frescoed by Battistello Caracciolo, Giovanni Balducci, and Belisario Corenzio. The decoration of the Royal Chapel of Assumption was not completed until 1644 by Antonio Picchiatti.

In 1734, with the arrival of Charles III of Spain to Naples, the palace became the royal residence of the Bourbons. On the occasion of his marriage to Maria Amalia of Saxony in 1738, Francesco De Mura and Domenico Antonio Vaccaro helped remodel the interior. Further modernization took place under Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies. In 1768, on the occasion of his marriage to Maria Carolina of Austria, under the direction of Ferdinando Fuga, the great hall was rebuilt and the court theater added. During the second half of the 18th century, a 'new wing' was added, which in 1927 became the Vittorio Emanuele III National Library. By the 18th century, the royal residence was moved to Reggia of Caserta, as that inland town was more defensible from naval assault, as well as more distant from the often-rebellious populace of Naples.

During the Napoleonic occupation the palace was enriched by Joachim Murat and his wife, Caroline Bonaparte, with Neoclassic decorations and furnishings. However, a fire in 1837 damaged many rooms, and required restoration from 1838 to 1858 under the direction of Gaetano Genovese. Further additions of a Party Wing and a Belvedere were made in this period. At the corner of the palace with San Carlo Theatre, a new facade was created that obscured the viceroyal palace of Pedro de Toledo.

In 1922, it was decided to transfer here the contents of the National Library. The transfer of library collections was made by 1925.

The library suffered from bombing during World War II and the subsequent military occupation of the building caused serious damage. Today, the palace and adjacent grounds house the famous Teatro San Carlo, the smaller Teatrino di Corte (recently restored), the Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele III, a museum, and offices, including those of the regional tourist board.

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