Årsta Castle, Haninge, Sweden - SpottingHistory.com

The history of Årsta manor date to the 14th century, when it was a residence of Teutonic Order of Livonia. In 1467 it was acquired by Erik Axelsson Tott. The present main building was built by the Claes Hansson Bielkenstierna around the year 1650. After him Årsta has been owned by Kurck, Soop and Fleming families. Today it is owned by Cedergren family and hosts a restaurant.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Hans Gustafsson (3 years ago)
Jäyteschyst. Nu ser msn och känner man atmodfären på en golfklubb. Restustanten har väldigt välsmakande mat och en lagom matsedel

Peter Löfgren (3 years ago)
Jättegod lunch!

Ronnie Norén (4 years ago)
God mat i en helt underbar slottsmiljö och med en helt förträfflig personal. Full pott ifrån mig.

Daniel Öderyd (4 years ago)
Very impressive! We had the reception for our daughter’s baptism in Årsta Castle in July 2017 and could not be more impressed! The Castle itself is absolutely stunning and the dining room with the big chandelier was perfect for our 60 guests. Equally impressive was the service, the food and the price for the most accommodating staff I’ve encountered in a long time. We held the baptism in Österhaninge Church just a few minutes away from the Castle and realized just a week before that our guest count far exceeded the allowed number in the church reception house. So with just one week’s notice they put a beautiful lunch together for our 60 guests that went off without a hitch. Despite our last minute request and our obvious desperation, they didn’t charge a premium and we actually ended up spending less than we had planned for catering. I cannot praise them enough for the experience they provided for our family and guests.

David Svens (5 years ago)
Good service

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

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Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba

The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, also known as the Great Mosque of Córdoba and the Mezquita is regarded as one of the most accomplished monuments of Moorish architecture.

According to a traditional account, a small Visigoth church, the Catholic Basilica of Saint Vincent of Lérins, originally stood on the site. In 784 Abd al-Rahman I ordered construction of the Great Mosque, which was considerably expanded by later Muslim rulers. The mosque underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, while in 961 Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the Mihrab. The last of such reforms was carried out by Almanzor in 987. It was connected to the Caliph"s palace by a raised walkway, mosques within the palaces being the tradition for previous Islamic rulers – as well as Christian Kings who built their palaces adjacent to churches. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard.

In 1236, Córdoba was conquered by King Ferdinand III of Castile, and the centre of the mosque was converted into a Catholic cathedral. Alfonso X oversaw the construction of the Villaviciosa Chapel and the Royal Chapel within the mosque. The kings who followed added further Christian features, such as King Henry II rebuilding the chapel in the 14th century. The minaret of the mosque was also converted to the bell tower of the cathedral. It was adorned with Santiago de Compostela"s captured cathedral bells. Following a windstorm in 1589, the former minaret was further reinforced by encasing it within a new structure.

The most significant alteration was the building of a Renaissance cathedral nave in the middle of the expansive structure. The insertion was constructed by permission of Charles V, king of Castile and Aragon. Artisans and architects continued to add to the existing structure until the late 18th century.

Architecture

The building"s floor plan is seen to be parallel to some of the earliest mosques built from the very beginning of Islam. It had a rectangular prayer hall with aisles arranged perpendicular to the qibla, the direction towards which Muslims pray. The prayer hall was large and flat, with timber ceilings held up by arches of horseshoe-like appearance.

In planning the mosque, the architects incorporated a number of Roman columns with choice capitals. Some of the columns were already in the Gothic structure; others were sent from various regions of Iberia as presents from the governors of provinces. Ivory, jasper, porphyry, gold, silver, copper, and brass were used in the decorations. Marvellous mosaics and azulejos were designed. Later, the immense temple embodied all the styles of Morisco architecture into one composition.

The building is most notable for its arcaded hypostyle hall, with 856 columns of jasper, onyx, marble, granite and porphyry. These were made from pieces of the Roman temple that had occupied the site previously, as well as other Roman buildings, such as the Mérida amphitheatre. The double arches were an innovation, permitting higher ceilings than would otherwise be possible with relatively low columns. The double arches consist of a lower horseshoe arch and an upper semi-circular arch.

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