Fredensborg Palace
Encyclopedia
Fredensborg Palace, ˈfʁæðˀn̩sbɒːˀ, is a palace
located on the eastern shore of Lake Esrum (Danish
, Esrum Sø) in Fredensborg
on the island of Zealand (Sjælland) in Denmark
. It is the Danish Royal Family
’s spring and autumn residence, and is often the site of important state visits and events in the Royal Family. It is the most used of the Royal Family’s residences.
King Frederick IV
asked architect Johan Cornelius Krieger
, royal gardener to the court at Rosenborg Castle
, to build him a small pleasure palace on the site of a farmyard named Østrup. Krieger built the French-inspired baroque
palace 1720–1726, and the King himself took an active part in the planning of the building and grounds, and followed construction closely. The man responsible for the actual construction was General Building Master Johan Conrad Ernst
, who was also responsible for the construction of Frederiksberg Palace
.
While the building was still under construction Denmark and Sweden
negotiated a peace treaty, which was signed July 3, 1720 on the site of the unfinished palace The treaty determined the fate of Skåne, which since that time has been a part of Sweden, and ended Denmark’s eleven year participation in the Great Northern War. To commemorate the signing of the peace accord the palace was named Fredens Borg (lit. English
, "The Palace of Peace").
The palace complex consisted of a small, almost square, -storey-high main palace with dome and lanterns. It is positioned exactly at the centre of what is known as a "hunting star" (Danish
, jagtstjerne), a number of straight intersecting paths in a game hunting reserve. During a hunt it was permissible to shoot freely straight down the long paths, which radiated out from the centre. The dome hall measured 15 x 15 m, and had a height of 27 m. The sumptuous room featured stucco by C.E. Brenno and a plafond
by Hendrick Krock
.
In front of the main building was placed an octagonal courtyard encircled by the single-storey servants' wings, called Red Wing., It is the only red building at Fredensborg Palace, and it has open half-timbers under a red tile roof.
East of the octagon were the riding ring and the long stable
s building;
To the east and adjacent to the main palace was an Orangery and the one-storey building called Margrave House. The Orangery, which was equipped with huge glasshouse windows, was connected to the main building by a small secret passage, so that the Royal Family and the courtiers could walk to the chapel without getting their feet wet.
The palace chapel stood in the middle of the two buildings, and has an exaggerated copper spire, a pilaster
-decorated façade facing the riding ring, and a heavily carved gable
featuring a bust of Frederik IV in relief carved by Didrick Gercken.
On the other side of the church was the Courtiers Wing ("Kavalerfløj"), residences for the court’s clerks and members of the Royal Household
. This section of the palace was built from 1724–1726, and introduces elements of the Dutch Baroque style and Rococo.
The palace was extended throughout the early 18th century, however the main structure of the palace has remained unchanged since its inauguration on October 11, 1722, the King’s 51st birthday.
Krieger completed his work on the palace with the erection of the “new Court Chancery building” in 1731. The black-glazed tile, half-hipped roof building is now known as The Chancellery House. It butted up to the riding-ring on the southern edge. Until her death, the late Queen Mother, Queen Ingrid
used this house as her private residence. The part of palace Chancellery House is the spring and autumn home of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary.
A major alteration of Krieger’s original building was made in 1741–1744 when Lauritz de Thurah
, the King’s favorite architect, elevated the roof of the palace’s main building. The slanted roof was replaced by a flat one, and a characteristically de Thurah sandstone balustrade was erected. In 1751 he also transformed the Orangery into a residential building for the ladies-in-waiting.
In 1753 Nicolai Eigtved
extended the palace by adding four symmetrically-positioned corner pavilions with copper pyramid-shaped roofs to the main building.
Of special interest is the Norwegian Valley (Nordmandsdalen) with approximately 70 sculptures of Norwegian
and Faroese farmers and fishermen. This garden was reopened in September 2002 after major restoration work.
The area of the gardens closest to the palace is reserved for the Royal Family, but is usually open to the public in July. Here are the kitchen gardens, which supply fresh vegetables for the household, and a modern orangery
, which was opened in 1995.
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
located on the eastern shore of Lake Esrum (Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
, Esrum Sø) in Fredensborg
Fredensborg
Fredensborg is a railway town with a population of 8,377 located in Fredensborg Municipality, Denmark at the railroad between Hillerød and Helsingør....
on the island of Zealand (Sjælland) in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. It is the Danish Royal Family
Danish Royal Family
The Danish Royal Family includes the Queen of Denmark and her family. All members except the Queen hold the title of Prince/Princess of Denmark with the style of His/Her Royal Highness or His/Her Highness. The Queen is styled Her Majesty. The Queen and her siblings belong to the House of...
’s spring and autumn residence, and is often the site of important state visits and events in the Royal Family. It is the most used of the Royal Family’s residences.
History of the building
At the end of the Great Northern WarGreat Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
King Frederick IV
Frederick IV of Denmark
Frederick IV was the king of Denmark and Norway from 1699 until his death. Frederick was the son of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway and Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel .-Foreign affairs:...
asked architect Johan Cornelius Krieger
Johan Cornelius Krieger
Johan Cornelius Krieger was a Danish architect and landscape architect, who from the 1720s served as both the country's chief architect, and head of the royal gardens....
, royal gardener to the court at Rosenborg Castle
Rosenborg Castle
Rosenborg Castle is a renaissance castle located in the centre of Copenhagen, Denmark. The castle was originally built as a country summerhouse in 1606 and is an example of Christian IV's many architectural projects...
, to build him a small pleasure palace on the site of a farmyard named Østrup. Krieger built the French-inspired baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
palace 1720–1726, and the King himself took an active part in the planning of the building and grounds, and followed construction closely. The man responsible for the actual construction was General Building Master Johan Conrad Ernst
Johan Conrad Ernst
Johan Conrad Ernst was a Danish architect and royal master builder. He was the son of Johan Adolf Ernst, a successful linen merchant who had immigrated from Nuremberg and had a luxurious residence on Amagertorv in Copenhagen....
, who was also responsible for the construction of Frederiksberg Palace
Frederiksberg Palace
Frederiksberg Palace is a Baroque residence, located in Frederiksberg, Denmark, adjacent to the Copenhagen Zoo. It commands an impressive view over Frederiksberg Park, originally designed as a palace garden in the Baroque style...
.
While the building was still under construction Denmark and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
negotiated a peace treaty, which was signed July 3, 1720 on the site of the unfinished palace The treaty determined the fate of Skåne, which since that time has been a part of Sweden, and ended Denmark’s eleven year participation in the Great Northern War. To commemorate the signing of the peace accord the palace was named Fredens Borg (lit. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, "The Palace of Peace").
The palace complex consisted of a small, almost square, -storey-high main palace with dome and lanterns. It is positioned exactly at the centre of what is known as a "hunting star" (Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
, jagtstjerne), a number of straight intersecting paths in a game hunting reserve. During a hunt it was permissible to shoot freely straight down the long paths, which radiated out from the centre. The dome hall measured 15 x 15 m, and had a height of 27 m. The sumptuous room featured stucco by C.E. Brenno and a plafond
Plafond
Plafond , in a broad sense, is any ceiling of any premise.Plafond can be product of monumental and decorative painting and sculpture; subject or ornamental – also is designated by the term "Plafond"...
by Hendrick Krock
Hendrick Krock
Hendrick Krock was a Danish history painter who, from 1706, was the court painter of Frederick IV as well as his successor Christian VI. Along with Benoit Le Coffre set the tone for history painting in Denmark during the 18th century-1720s, having been influenced by the Italian baroque painting he...
.
In front of the main building was placed an octagonal courtyard encircled by the single-storey servants' wings, called Red Wing., It is the only red building at Fredensborg Palace, and it has open half-timbers under a red tile roof.
East of the octagon were the riding ring and the long stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
s building;
To the east and adjacent to the main palace was an Orangery and the one-storey building called Margrave House. The Orangery, which was equipped with huge glasshouse windows, was connected to the main building by a small secret passage, so that the Royal Family and the courtiers could walk to the chapel without getting their feet wet.
The palace chapel stood in the middle of the two buildings, and has an exaggerated copper spire, a pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
-decorated façade facing the riding ring, and a heavily carved gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
featuring a bust of Frederik IV in relief carved by Didrick Gercken.
On the other side of the church was the Courtiers Wing ("Kavalerfløj"), residences for the court’s clerks and members of the Royal Household
Royal Household
A Royal Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations....
. This section of the palace was built from 1724–1726, and introduces elements of the Dutch Baroque style and Rococo.
The palace was extended throughout the early 18th century, however the main structure of the palace has remained unchanged since its inauguration on October 11, 1722, the King’s 51st birthday.
Krieger completed his work on the palace with the erection of the “new Court Chancery building” in 1731. The black-glazed tile, half-hipped roof building is now known as The Chancellery House. It butted up to the riding-ring on the southern edge. Until her death, the late Queen Mother, Queen Ingrid
Ingrid of Sweden
Ingrid of Sweden was a Swedish princess and the queen consort of King Frederick IX of Denmark.-Background:...
used this house as her private residence. The part of palace Chancellery House is the spring and autumn home of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary.
A major alteration of Krieger’s original building was made in 1741–1744 when Lauritz de Thurah
Lauritz de Thurah
Laurids Lauridsen de Thurah, known as Lauritz de Thurah , was a Danish architect and architectural writer. He became the most important Danish architect of the late baroque period...
, the King’s favorite architect, elevated the roof of the palace’s main building. The slanted roof was replaced by a flat one, and a characteristically de Thurah sandstone balustrade was erected. In 1751 he also transformed the Orangery into a residential building for the ladies-in-waiting.
In 1753 Nicolai Eigtved
Nicolai Eigtved
Nicolai Eigtved, also known as Niels Eigtved, , Danish architect, introduced and was the leading proponent of the French rococo style in Danish architecture during the 1730s-1740s. He designed and built some of the most prominent buildings of his time, a number of which still stand to this day...
extended the palace by adding four symmetrically-positioned corner pavilions with copper pyramid-shaped roofs to the main building.
The palace gardens and park at Fredensborg
The palace gardens are among Denmark's largest historical gardens, and are Denmark’s finest example of a baroque garden. These too was designed by Krieger, and were extended and altered during the 18th century. The long, straight avenues which extend from the castle in a star-shaped pattern were recreated in the 1970s to 1990s. Between these avenues lies large wooded areas with winding paths.Of special interest is the Norwegian Valley (Nordmandsdalen) with approximately 70 sculptures of Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Faroese farmers and fishermen. This garden was reopened in September 2002 after major restoration work.
The area of the gardens closest to the palace is reserved for the Royal Family, but is usually open to the public in July. Here are the kitchen gardens, which supply fresh vegetables for the household, and a modern orangery
Orangery
An orangery was a building in the grounds of fashionable residences from the 17th to the 19th centuries and given a classicising architectural form. The orangery was similar to a greenhouse or conservatory...
, which was opened in 1995.
See also
- List of Baroque residences
- List of castles and palaces in Denmark
- Tourism in DenmarkTourism in DenmarkTourists in Denmark consist mainly of people from neighboring countries, especially Germany, followed by Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands. With 4.7 million visitor arrivals in 2007, Denmark ranked 43rd in the UNWTO's World Tourism rankings...