Öster Malma Castle, Nyköping, Sweden

Öster Malma Castle was built in the 1660s by the Swedish Board of Customs administrator Wilhelm Drakenhjelm. Today the Baroque style castle still retains its original façade. The 18th century was the heyday of castle and beautiful parks and flowery terraces towards the lake and orchards were built a century later. Through actions taken by the chairman of the Svenska Jägareförbundet (Swedish association for hunting and wildlife management) Prince Gustav Adolf, the organisation was able to rent the facility for hunting and game education in 1947.

Today the castle is characterised by the history of hunting, modern nature art and reception halls with furniture typical of the period. The environment, steeped in fine old traditions, is a colourful contribution to a conference or wedding.

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Öster Malma Castle

User Reviews

Vickanflickan (3 years ago)
Lovely venue with very good food and conference centre. The yearly Christmas fair is very cosy and pleasant. The wildlife park is a nice addition and offers a chance for a pleasant walk around the grounds.

Bigallman (3 years ago)
Great view of the stars with very little light pollution. You can see the milky way galaxy.

Tilde Söderman (3 years ago)
Nice surroundings and good food!

Patricia Barbosa (3 years ago)
Wonderful food on beautiful grounds. If hunting is your passion there will be a lot to see.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Nicola since 1972

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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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