Details
Founded: 11th centuryCategory: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Sweden
Historical period: Viking Age (Sweden)
User Reviews
These two stones are only a few meters apart on the side of a small burial mound at the side of an burial ground. Much of the burial ground is now used as pature for a 4-H Club.
U-970 Translation - 'Vide raised the stone after..(missing).. Öpir....'
Additional Info - Öpir is the runemaster who carved the stone and is one of the most prolific runemasters in the area. Both this stone and U #969, just a few feet away, had been damaged when rune researches made sketches of the stones in the 1600's
U-969 Rune Translation - 'Ragnvid raised the stone ..... his father. And Åsmund carved.'
Additional Info - Uppslands Rune Inscription sits at the edge of a burial ground dating from the latter half of the Iron Age. The top of the runestone (with the name of who it memorializes) had already been damaged when rune-researchers of the 1600's made drawings of the stone. This one was carved by Åsmund Kåressons, one of the most prolific runemasters in the area.
Information was translated from the placards in Swedish on site.
Ängsö Castle was first named as "Engsev" in a royal charter by king Canute I of Sweden (r. 1167-1196), in which he stated that he had inherited the property after his father Eric IX of Sweden. Until 1272, it was owned by the Riseberga Abbey, and then taken over by Gregers Birgersson.
From 1475 until 1710, it was owned by the Sparre family. The current castle was built as a fortress by riksråd Bengt Fadersson Sparre in the 1480s. In 1522, Ängsö Castle was taken after a siege by king Gustav Vasa, since its owner, Fadersson's son Knut Bengtsson, sided with Christian II of Denmark. However, in 1538 it was given by the king to Bengtsson's daughter Hillevi Knutsdotter, who was married to Arvid Trolle.
In 1710, the castle was taken over by Carl Piper and Christina Piper. Ängsö Castle was owned by the Piper family from 1710 until 1971, and is now owned by the Westmanna foundation. The castle building itself was made into a museum in 1959 and was made a listed building in 1965. It is currently opened to visitors during the summers.
The castle is a cubical building in four stores made by stone and bricks. The lower parts is preserved from the middle ages. It was redecorated and expanded in the 1630s. The 4th storey as well as the roof is from the expansion of Carl Hårleman from 1740-41. It gained its current appearance in the 1740s.