Gripsholm Castle
Encyclopedia
Gripsholm Castle is a castle
in Mariefred
, Södermanland
, in Sweden
and is regarded as one of Sweden's finest historical monuments. It is located by lake Mälaren
in south central Sweden, in the municipality of Strängnäs
, about 60 km west of Stockholm
.
, and belonged to his family until the confiscation of mansions and castles by King Gustav I
in 1526. The King tore it down, and built a fortified castle with circular corner towers and a wall, for defensive purposes. Of the original medieval fortress, only the façade of a wall remains.
Since Gustav Vasa, Gripsholm has belonged to the Swedish Royal Family
and was used as their residence until 1713. Between 1563 and 1567, King Eric XIV
imprisoned his brother John
and his consort Catherine Jagiellon
in the castle. This was also one of the castles that King Eric was imprisoned in when John had overthrown him. John's son Sigismund
, later the King of Poland and Sweden, was born in the castle on June 20, 1566.
on behalf of his consort Sophia Magdalena
. A theater was also added in one of the towers at this time.
Between 1889 and 1894, the castle underwent a heavy and controversial restoration
by the architect Fredrik Lilljekvist
during which many of the 17th and 18th-century alterations were removed. The largest change was the addition of a third floor; the planned demolition of a wing did not take place.
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 Collection of Portraits (Statens porträttsamlingar), one of the oldest portrait collection in the world.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in Mariefred
Mariefred
Mariefred is a locality situated in Strängnäs Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 3,813 inhabitants in 2005.The name is derived from that of the former Carthusian monastery here, Mariefred Charterhouse, and means "Peace of Mary"...
, Södermanland
Södermanland
', sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Östergötland, Närke, Västmanland and Uppland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea.In Swedish, the province name is...
, in 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....
and is regarded as one of Sweden's finest historical monuments. It is located by lake Mälaren
Mälaren
Lake Mälaren is the third-largest lake in Sweden, after Lakes Vänern and Vättern. Its area is 1,140 km² and its greatest depth is 64 m. Mälaren spans 120 kilometers from east to west...
in south central Sweden, in the municipality of Strängnäs
Strängnäs Municipality
Strängnäs Municipality is a municipality in Södermanland County in eastern Sweden, located by Lake Mälaren. Its seat is located in the city of Strängnäs....
, about 60 km west of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
.
History
A fortress was built at the location around 1380 by Bo Jonsson GripBo Jonsson (Grip)
Bo Jonsson was head of the royal council and marshal under the regency of Magnus IV of Sweden. Also in the council was his friend and colleague, Karl Ulfsson av Ulvåsa, eldest son of Saint Birgitta...
, and belonged to his family until the confiscation of mansions and castles by King Gustav I
Gustav I of Sweden
Gustav I of Sweden, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known simply as Gustav Vasa , was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death....
in 1526. The King tore it down, and built a fortified castle with circular corner towers and a wall, for defensive purposes. Of the original medieval fortress, only the façade of a wall remains.
Since Gustav Vasa, Gripsholm has belonged to the Swedish Royal Family
Swedish Royal Family
The Swedish Royal Family since 1818 consists of a number of persons in the Swedish Royal House of Bernadotte, closely related to the King of Sweden. They are entitled to royal titles and style , and some perform official engagements and ceremonial duties of state...
and was used as their residence until 1713. Between 1563 and 1567, King Eric XIV
Eric XIV of Sweden
-Family and descendants:Eric XIV had several relationships before his marriage. With Agda Persdotter he had four daughters:#Margareta Eriksdotter , married 1592 to Olov Simonsson, vicar of Horn....
imprisoned his brother John
John III of Sweden
-Family:John married his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland , house of Jagiello, in Vilnius on 4 October 1562. In Sweden, she is known as Katarina Jagellonica. She was the sister of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland...
and his consort Catherine Jagiellon
Catherine Jagiellon
Catherine the Jagiellonian of Poland was Duchess of Finland , Queen Consort of Sweden , Grand Princess of Finland and heir to her mother's claim to the title of King of Jerusalem....
in the castle. This was also one of the castles that King Eric was imprisoned in when John had overthrown him. John's son Sigismund
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599...
, later the King of Poland and Sweden, was born in the castle on June 20, 1566.
Later years
The castle was again used as a prison between 1713 and 1773, before it was renovated by King Gustav IIIGustav III of Sweden
Gustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolph Frederick and Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden, she a sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia....
on behalf of his consort Sophia Magdalena
Sophia Magdalena of Denmark
Sofia Magdalena of Denmark and Norway was a Queen consort of Sweden as the spouse of Gustav III of Sweden....
. A theater was also added in one of the towers at this time.
Between 1889 and 1894, the castle underwent a heavy and controversial restoration
Building restoration
Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...
by the architect Fredrik Lilljekvist
Fredrik Lilljekvist
Johan Fredrik Lilljekvist was a Swedish architect. He is best known for his controversial restoration of Gripsholm Castle and as the architect of the new building for the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm.-Life in summary:Lilljekvist was born in Klara parish in Stockholm, son of a photographer...
during which many of the 17th and 18th-century alterations were removed. The largest change was the addition of a third floor; the planned demolition of a wing did not take place.
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 Collection of Portraits (Statens porträttsamlingar), one of the oldest portrait collection in the world.
Other sources
- Eriksson, Eva Den moderna stadens födelse: svensk arkitektur 1890-1920 (Ordfront, Stockholm: 1990) ISBN 91-7324-322-1
- Strömbom, Sixten Gripsholm: slottet och dess samlingar 1537-1937 (Nordisk rotogravyr, Stockholm: 1937)