Towards the end of his reign, King Frederik IV of Denmark wished for the same degree of comfort in provincial castles as he enjoyed in Copenhagen. In 1720 a contract was signed for alterations to be made to Odensegård manor. The gardener of Rosenborg Palace, J.C.Krieger, was entrusted with the work. From his studies in England and the Netherlands, he had learnt about the Dutch Baroque style.A new main wing was added to the three former wings. The upper floor housed the king's apartment to the west and the queen's to the east. Between them lay the shared dining room with adjoining audience chambers.
The rooms were organised in the same way for the crown prince's family on the ground floor. The central room on this floor was intended for the lords and ladies in waiting at the court. The new wing was built af salvaged materials from Nyborg Castle, which had been seriously damaged during the war against the Swedish.Krieger also laid our a beautiful castle garden in the classic, French style. The entire complex was completed in 1730. Despite illness, the king expressed a wish to see it. He came, saw his work - and died one early October morning, sitting in a chair in the new sleeping chambers.Today the Odense City Council uses in the castle and you can only see it from the outside.
References:The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.
The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick.