Taivassalo Church is the oldest of the three medieval stone churches in Finland that are dedicated to the Holy Cross. The construction of the church is believed to have begun between the years 1425 to 1440. In 1460s, the third aisle was built and the inner walls were decorated with new murals. It was the first time in Finland that frescos were painted to nearly all important surfaces of a church by a group of professional artists.
The medieval altarpiece as well as wooden sculptures of Taivassalo Church were donated to The National Museum of Finland in 1890. However, Taivassalo Church still has a magnificent triumph crucifix above the altar, in front of the chancel window. This crucifix is one of the oldest and best preserved crucifixes in Finland. The rococo front of the organ, which is unusual by Finnish standards, has remained intact ever since 1767 although the organ has been replaced several times.
As a whole, the church with its murals looks much the same as it would have looked at the end of the Middle Ages.
Rosenborg Palace was built in the period 1606-34 as Christian IV’s summerhouse just outside the ramparts of Copenhagen. Christian IV was very fond of the palace and often stayed at the castle when he resided in Copenhagen, and it was here that he died in 1648. After his death, the palace passed to his son King Frederik III, who together with his queen, Sophie Amalie, carried out several types of modernisation.
The last king who used the place as a residence was Frederik IV, and around 1720, Rosenborg was abandoned in favor of Frederiksborg Palace.Through the 1700s, considerable art treasures were collected at Rosenborg Castle, among other things items from the estates of deceased royalty and from Christiansborg after the fire there in 1794.
Soon the idea of a museum arose, and that was realised in 1833, which is The Royal Danish Collection’s official year of establishment.