#borgholms slott

Borgholm Castle, Sweden (No. 29)

The construction of the castle into a unified baroque palace began in 1652 and lasted until 1709. However, the rebuilding of the castle was never completely finished. Instead, the castle was left to more or less decay until 1803, when a new tenant, Axel Adlersparre, took up residency in the castle and established a dyehouse in its northern wing. However, the business did not last long. On 14 October 1806, the roof of the north wing was ignited by a spark from broken masonry and caught fire. The fire spread quickly in the strong wind and soon only a castle ruin was left.

In the middle of the 19th century, there were calls to preserve and maintain the dilapidated castle. In 1858, the then Crown Prince Oscar (II) visited the castle and was very upset about its decay. Two years later, the first state funds for maintenance were granted and used to rebuild windows and gun ports.

In the 1880s, arches and stairs were also repaired in the castle. The renovations were carried out so that the castle would not pose a risk to all the summer guests who had started visiting the now popular seaside resort of Borgholm. During the 19th century, trees and shrubs had also taken a firm hold on the old castle, which reinforced the sensation of a castle ruin. During the last 100 years, major renovation efforts have been made to preserve Borgholm Castle and today the castle is a well-visited place for tourists.

Borgholm Castle, Sweden (No. 24)

The history of Borgholm Castle stretches back 800 years. What remains nowadays, is the ruin of the magnificent Baroque palace built by Karl X Gustav in the middle of the 17th century. Over the centuries, the castle has been crowded with people, from kings and their families, architects and castle wardens to farmers, prisoners, prison guards, industrialists and crofters. Initially, the foundations of the castle were constructed as a keep surrounded by a bailey as early as the 12th century. Since then they have been developed in step with the history of Borgholm Castle.

Borgholm Castle, Sweden (No. 7)

After the Peace of Knäred in 1613, it was returned in a plundered and ill-fated state, so that repair work had to begin. However, these were discontinued after about ten years. However, a smaller earthworks was built in 1643, and from 1651, when Öland was conferred on Karl Gustav, the castle building was continued under the leadership of Nicodemus Tessin the Elder. When war with Denmark broke out again, Borgholm Castle was so fortified that Captain Henrik Julius Heideman was able to defend it against the Danes, who on 17 August tried a storming. The following day, the castle was rescued by Admiral Wachtmeister, who expelled the Danes.

Construction work stopped after the death of Charles X Gustav in 1660. They were resumed in 1681 but were soon closed down again. The castle was therefore never completed according to Tessin's plan, and Erik Dahlbergh's stately drawing in Suecia antiqua et hodierna is thus incorrect. Eventually, even the finished part of the castle fell into disrepair. Towards the end, the last usable premises included school and textile dyeing. October 14, 1806, a devastation completed the work of destruction.

Borgholm Castle, Sweden (No. 2)

The construction of the original fortress was probably ordered by King Canute I, although this is not totally certain. He reigned 1167–1195 and had fortresses built on the Swedish east coast as defence against enemies from the other side of the Baltic Sea. During the 13th to 15th centuries, additions and changes were made. For example, new towers were built, and a new and thicker wall was constructed. The fortress was damaged on a number of occasions during these centuries, including in 1361, when King Valdemar IV (Atterdag) of Denmark attacked Borgholm.

During the Kalmar Union, many castles and fortresses in Sweden were damaged as a result of the ongoing conflicts between Danes and Swedes. When Gustav Eriksson became Swedish king and the union was dissolved, he, together with the sons that followed him on the throne, invested huge sums of money in repairing these buildings. It was Gustav's son John III (r. 1568–1592) who ordered the reconstruction of Borgholm into a renaissance castle. During his reign, the Pahr brothers (four engineers and architects from Milan) led a significant rebuilding that took place from 1572. The castle acquired a Gothic character and became exemplary of the Italianate bastion style.

Clouds (No. 362)

Over the Roofs

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