I noticed that there was not a topic about the Swedish Castle (Royal or not). I have a file with all the news and I've decided to share with you. Hope you enjoy
Here are some castles and palaces of Sweden. This first post is about the Royal Palace. Next post will be about castle and palace that were between the RF domain.
Drottningholm Palace (Royal Palace)
The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, mainly because of the Drottningholm Palace Theatre and the Chinese Pavilion. It was added to the list in 1991. The UNESCO comments were:
“The Royal Domain of Drottningholm stands on an island in Lake Mälar in a suburb of Stockholm. With its palace, perfectly preserved theatre (built in 1766), Chinese pavilion and gardens, it is the finest example of an 18th-century northern European royal residence inspired by the Palace of Versailles.”
The Chinese Pavilion is a remarkable treasure in the majestic grounds of Drottningholm.
King Adolf Fredrik surprised Queen Lovisa Ulrika on her birthday in 1753 with a small Chinese pleasure palace in the Drottningholm Palace park. It was a highly appreciated birthday present as chinoiserie was all the rage in Europe at the time.
The original wooden building was replaced in the 1760s by a more permanent one, which today contains one of the finest European rococo interiors with chinoiserie.
The Royal Palace of Stockholm
The Royal Palace of Stockholm is His Majesty The King's official residence and is also the setting for most of the monarchy's official receptions. The palace is a daily place of work for The King and Queen as well as for the various departments that make up the Royal Court.
This combination of royal residence, workplace and culture-historical monument open year round to visitors makes the Royal Palace of Stockholm unique amongst Europe's royal residences.
The palace contains many interesting things to see. In addition to the Royal Apartments there are three museums steeped in regal history: the Treasury with the regalia, the Tre Kronor Museum that portrays the palaces medieval history and Gustav III's Museum of Antiquities.
Gripsholm Castle (Royal Palace)
Gripsholm is known as Gustav Vasa's castle, as it was he who built the castle here in 1537.
Take time to wander slowly through the many rooms and winding passages. Gripsholm Castle is filled with over four-hundred years of history.
Now the castle is a museum which is open to the public, containing paintings and works of art. Part of the castle houses the National Portrait Gallery (Statens porträttsamlingar), one of the oldest portrait collections in the world. [4] The museum includes a badly-stuffed lionwhich has become infamous in recent years.
Haga Palace (Royal Palace)
Haga Palace, formerly known as the Queen's Pavilion, is located in the Haga Park. The palace, built in 1802 – 1805, was modelled after ballet-master Gallodiers Italian villa in Drottningholm by architect Carl Christoffer Gjörwell on appointment by King Gustaf IV Adolf for the royal children. It has been the home or summerhouse for several members of the Swedish royal family – most notably it was the birthplace of the present King – until 1966 when King Gustaf VI Adolf transferred its disposal to the government and it was turned into a guesthouse for distinguished foreign official visitors. In 2009, it was announced by
Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt that the rights of disposal to the palace will be transferred back to the royal court to be used by Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and her husband, Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland, as a wedding gift in 2010. They moved into Haga Palace after their wedding on 19 June.Rosendal Palace (Royal Palace)
Rosendal was originally a summertime pleasure retreat. It has never been a residence in the modern sense of the word. It was merely intended as an escape from the formalities of court life at the Royal Palace.
One of the leading architects of the time, Fredrik Blom, received a royal commission to draw and build the palace building. The building was produced in the fashion of a prefabricated house.
The palace stands today largely as it did in Karl Johan's lifetime, which makes Rosendal a unique documentation of the European Empire style, in Sweden also known as the Karl Johan style.
Rosersberg Palace (Royal Palace) (I think it's my favourite
)
Rosersberg Palace is one of the best kept secrets of Sweden's royal palaces. At Rosersberg time stands still. Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna named the palace after his mother who came from the prestigious Tre Rosor ("Three Roses") family.
The Oxenstierna family built the palace in the 1630s. It became a royal palace in 1762, when the state gave Rosersberg to Gustav III's younger brother Karl XIII.
King Karl XIV Johan and Queen Desideria spent long, relaxing summers at Rosersberg.
The rooms remain almost untouched from the 1795-1825 period, with well-preserved interiors and collections. Rosersberg become the missing link between the Gustavian era and the first of the Bernadottes.
The endless park in the breathtaking landscape of Mälaren adds to the charm of Rosersberg.
In the 1960s the Civil Defence force took over parts of the palace and grounds and parts are now used by the Swedish Rescue Services Agency.
Strömsholm Palace (Royal Palace)
The baroque palace is built on the site of a fortress from the 1550s, located on an island in the Kolbäcksån river at the west end of Lake Mälaren. The Queen Dowager, Hedvid Eleonora, headed many large construction projects at Strömsholm. She built the new palace and around twenty other buildings in the palace grounds.
The palace was completed by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder, however work with the interiors came to a halt. Members of the Royal Family liked to overnight here on their way southbound.
The palace with its extensive green surroundings is a cherished day-trip destination. Couples getting married often choose the romantic palace chapel for their ceremonies.
Noteworthy things to see include the impressive interiors from the 1700s and an important collection of Swedish paintings.
Tullgarn Palace (Royal Palace)
Tullgarn is associated with King Gustaf V and Queen Victoria, who spend their summers here at the end of the 1800s and beginning of the 1900s. However, the palace was originally built for Duke Fredrik Adolf in the 1770s.
The Duke's interior design are one of Sweden's finest. Rest for a moment in the courtyard and breath in the fresh lake winds.
Ulriksdal Palace (Royal Palace)
Several Swedish regents have left their mark on Ulriksdal. Queen Kristina built a pleasure garden in front of the palace and Hedvig Elenora built an Orangery in the park.
Queen Kristina enjoyed the palace so much that she let her coronation procession proceed from Ulriksdal.
The palace was built for Constable of the Realm Jacob De La Gardie by architect Hans Jacob Kristler. The palace was called Jacobsdal until the time of Queen Hedvig Eleonora.
