Kalmar Castle

Kalmar, Sweden

The first defensive construction, a round tower, was built on Kalmarsund in the 12th century concurrently with the harbour. At the end of the 13th century King Magnus Ladulås had a new fortress built with a curtain wall, round corner towers and two square gatehouses surrounding the original tower. Located near the site of Kalmar's medieval harbor, it has played a crucial part in Swedish history since its initial construction as a fortified tower in the 12th century.

One of the most significant political events in Scandinavia took place at Kalmar Castle in 1397, when the Kalmar Union was formed - a union of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, organized by Queen Margaret I of Denmark. During the Swedish rebellion against Denmark in1520, the fortress was commanded by Anna Eriksdotter.

The fortress was improved during the 16th century under the direction of King Gustav I and his sons King Eric XIV and King John III, who turned the medieval fortress into a castle fit for a renaissance king. Kalmar Castle suffered heavy damage during the Kalmar War of 1611-13 and was badly damaged by a fire in 1642. Repairs were begun but from the end of the seventeenth century the castle was allowed to fall into disrepair.

In 1856, architect Fredrik Wilhelm Scholander (1816 - 1881) initiated restoration work at Kalmar Castle. His pupil Helgo Zettervall continued restoring Kalmar Castle in the 1880s. Architect Carl Möller drew up the plans and other documents. The work began in 1885 and by 1891 the castle had gained the silhouette it bears today. In 1919 professor Martin Olsson was charged with the continuing restoration of earthworks, the moat, the bridge and the drawbridge. Work continued until 1941, when the castle was once more surrounded by water. Today, it is one of Sweden's best preserved renaissance castles and is open to the public.

References:

Comments

Your name

Website (optional)


Address

Kungsgatan 1, Kalmar, Sweden
See all sites in Kalmar

Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Sweden
Historical period: Consolidation (Sweden)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.kalmarslott.kalmar.se

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Kalmar Cathedral (1 km)
Kläckeberga Church (6,9 km)
Karlevi Runestone (7,9 km)
Dörby Church (7,6 km)


Borgholm Castle (29,5 km)
Långe Jan Lighthouse (51,4 km)
Borgholm City Museum (30,7 km)
Eketorp Fort (41,1 km)
Solliden Palace (28,9 km)
Ismantorp Fortress (20 km)
Kristianopel Church (48,6 km)
Gråborg Castle (15,2 km)
Vickleby Church (11 km)

User Reviews

Jolene Arendse (9 months ago)
Good experience. Good value. A bit nippy. Bring a jacket if winter.
Michael Söderlund (10 months ago)
A Christmas market I would like to recommend!
Miljko Kucevic (13 months ago)
Lovely castle. With an important history for Sweden. The view and surroundings are beautiful to see. You can enter the castle and see many interesting rooms. Each room is unique and suprising.
Wan T. Tu (13 months ago)
Beautiful castle to see from outside. Has a decent cafe/restaurant. Not necessary to purchase ticket to visit inside.
Jarno Paldanius (15 months ago)
Lots of interesting things to see. Tours are great! It's really great to notice that castle is well maintained. Family ticket packet is also quite reasonably priced. Must see if you visit Kalmar!
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Best of Middle Rhine Valley, Germany
Photo from Flickr, copyright YLegrand

Historic Site of the week

Château de Chaumont

The Château de Chaumont was founded in the 10th century by Odo I, Count of Blois. The purpose was to protect his lands from attacks from his feudal rivals, Fulk Nerra, Count of Anjou. On his behalf the Norman Gelduin received it, improved it and held it as his own. His great-niece Denise de Fougère, having married Sulpice d'Amboise, passed the château into the Amboise family for five centuries.

Pierre d'Amboise unsuccessfully rebelled against King Louis XI and his property was confiscated, and the castle was dismantled on royal order in 1465. It was later rebuilt by Charles I d'Amboise from 1465–1475 and then finished by his son, Charles II d'Amboise de Chaumont from 1498–1510, with help from his uncle, Cardinal Georges d'Amboise; some Renaissance features were to be seen in buildings that retained their overall medieval appearance. The château was acquired by Catherine de Medici in 1550. There she entertained numerous astrologers, among them Nostradamus. When her husband, Henry II, died in 1559 she forced his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, to exchange Château de Chaumont for Château de Chenonceau which Henry had given to de Poitiers. Diane de Poitiers only lived at Chaumont for a short while.

Later Chaumont has changed hands several times. Paul de Beauvilliers bought the château in 1699, modernized some of its interiors and decorated it with sufficient grandeur to house the duc d'Anjou on his way to become king of Spain in 1700. Monsieur Bertin demolished the north wing to open the house towards the river view in the modern fashion.

In 1750, Jacques-Donatien Le Ray purchased the castle as a country home where he established a glassmaking and pottery factory. He was considered the French "Father of the American Revolution" because he loved America. However, in 1789, the new French Revolutionary Government seized Le Ray's assets, including his beloved Château de Chaumont.

The castle has been classified as a Monument historique since 1840 by the French Ministry of Culture. The Château de Chaumont is currently a museum and every year hosts a Garden Festival from April to October where contemporary garden designers display their work in an English-style garden.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2019 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.