Gavnø Castle

Næstved, Denmark

The first historical mention of Gavnø is in King Valdemar's census book from 1231 where a 'house on Gavnø' is mentioned. The house was apparently a castle built to defend Denmark's western coasts. In the 15th century, Queen Margaret I opened St Agnes' Priory there, catering for nuns from aristocratic families. The chapel can still be seen in the castle's southern wing although it has since been extended.

In 1737, Count Otto Thott acquired Gavnø. He renovated and substantially extended the castle, creating today's three-winged, yellow-facaded building in the Rococo style where he was able to house his large collections of paintings, manuscripts and books. At his death, his library collection contained over 120,000 volumes, exceeding that of the Danish National Library. The park surrounding the castle is known for its rare trees, rose garden and, above all, its extensive display of bulbs.

References:

Comments

Your name

Website (optional)


Address

Gavnø 2, Næstved, Denmark
See all sites in Næstved

Details

Founded: 1737
Category: Castles and fortifications in Denmark
Historical period: Absolutism (Denmark)

More Information

www.gavnoe.dk
en.wikipedia.org
www.visitdenmark.com

Rating

4.1/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


St. Peter's Church (5 km)
St Martin's Church (5,1 km)
Herlufsholm Church (6,5 km)
Rønnebaeksholm (5,6 km)


Roskilde Cathedral (55,2 km)
Roskilde Palace (55,2 km)
St. Lawrence's Church Ruins (55,2 km)
Viking Ship Museum (55,9 km)
St. Nicholas' Church (41,7 km)
St. Bendt's Church (28,8 km)
Vordingborg Castle Ruins (23,4 km)
Maribo Cathedral (48,5 km)
Sorø Abbey (28,9 km)

User Reviews

Matthew Haave (2 years ago)
Went for the Christmas market and had a great time!
Joan Steffensen (2 years ago)
Fantastic day. Beautiful place to hold a bass
Kai Herold (2 years ago)
Nice park and castle. Painting collection huge but mostly uninteresting sadly many in need of repair. Park nice with many flowers. So all in all, worth a visit nice landscape around the castle, easy to locate and even possible to take a trip on the lake. Also several activities for children.
Øystein Væringsaasen (2 years ago)
The park itself is very nice, with huge trees and pretty flowers everywhere, kept in more or less meticulous order. There is also an interesting portrait collection in the manor building, as well a small chapel which is stunning! The entrance fee is a bit steep, 125 Danish crowns for one adult. The gift shop was closed and the ticket booth as well as the cafeteria attended by a young woman which was nice, but couldn't quite cope alone.
habibah yahya (2 years ago)
I have seen many beautiful tulips in this park. Eventhough it was windy and a little bit of rain it didn't stopped me from exploring this beautiful park. There were many flowers which have not come out yet. But it was enough to see the colourful tulips and hyacinths and the castle
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Most beautiful castles in Lithuania
Photo from Flickr, copyright Monceau

Historic Site of the week

Kisimul Castle

Dating from the 15th century, Kisimul is the only significant surviving medieval castle in the Outer Hebrides. It was the residence of the chief of the Macneils of Barra, who claimed descent from the legendary Niall of the Nine Hostages. Tradition tells of the Macneils settling in Barra in the 11th century, but it was only in 1427 that Gilleonan Macneil comes on record as the first lord. He probably built the castle that dominates the rocky islet, and in its shadow a crew house for his personal galley and crew. The sea coursed through Macneil veins, and a descendant, Ruari ‘the Turbulent’, was arrested for piracy of an English ship during King James VI’s reign in the later 16th century.

Heavy debts eventually forced the Macneil chiefs to sell Barra in 1838. However, a descendant, Robert Lister Macneil, the 45th Chief, repurchased the estate in 1937, and set about restoring his ancestral seat. It passed into Historic Scotland’s care in 2000.

The castle dates essentially from the 15th century. It takes the form of a three-storey tower house. This formed the residence of the clan chief. An associated curtain wall fringed the small rock on which the castle stood, and enclosed a small courtyard in which there are ancillary buildings. These comprised a feasting hall, a chapel, a tanist’s house and a watchman’s house. Most were restored in the 20th century, the tanist’s house serving as the family home of the Macneils. A well near the postern gate is fed with fresh water from an underground seam. Outside the curtain wall, beside the original landing-place, are the foundations of the crew house, where the sailors manning their chief’s galley had their quarters.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2020 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.