Riddarhusgränd
Encyclopedia
Alley
An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane found in urban areas, often for pedestrians only, which usually runs between or behind buildings. In older cities and towns in Europe, alleys are often what is left of a medieval street network, or a right of way or ancient footpath in an urban setting...
in Gamla stan
Gamla stan
Gamla stan , until 1980 officially Staden mellan broarna , is the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Gamla stan consists primarily of the island Stadsholmen. The surrounding islets Riddarholmen, Helgeandsholmen, and Strömsborg are officially part of, but not colloquially included in, Gamla stan...
, the old town in central 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...
, 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....
. Stretching north from the square Riddarhustorget
Riddarhustorget
Riddarhustorget is, arguably, a public square in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden, named after its location in front of House of Knights ....
to the bridge Vasabron
Vasabron
Vasabron is a bridge over Norrström in central Stockholm, Sweden connecting Norrmalm to Gamla stan, the old city....
, it passes between the Swedish House of Knights
Swedish House of Knights
The Swedish House of Nobility maintains records and acts as an interest group on behalf of the Swedish nobility.-Name:The name means either the corporation of the Swedish nobility or the palace of the nobility....
(Riddarhuset) and the Bonde Palace
Bonde Palace
The Bonde Palace is a palace in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Located between the House of Knights and the Chancellery House , it is, arguably, the most prominent monument of the era of the Swedish Empire , originally design by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder and Jean De la...
forming a parallel street to Rådhusgränd
Rådhusgränd
Rådhusgränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching from the junction between the street Myntgatan and the square Riddarhustorget, and passing between the Bonde Palace and Kanslihuset , it leads north to the bridge Vasabron, while forming a parallel street...
. On either side of its northern end are the quays Riddarhuskajen
Riddarhuskajen
Riddarhuskajen is a quay in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Located north of both the square Riddarhustorget and the House of Knights, it stretches east from the north-western corner of the island Stadsholmen to the bridge Vasabron and the alley Riddarhusgränd...
and Kanslikajen
Kanslikajen
Kanslikajen is a quay in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden, leading west along the southern shore of the canal Stallkanalen from Stallbron and Mynttorget to Vasabron....
.
While the House of Knights was built to the design of Simon de la Vallée in 1641-1674, and the Bonde Palace was originally designed as a private palace by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder
Nicodemus Tessin the Elder
Nicodemus Tessin the Elder was an important Swedish architect.-Biography:Nicodemus Tessin was born in Stralsund in Pomerania and came to Sweden as a young man. There he met and worked with the architect Simon de la Vallée...
and Jean De la Vallée
Jean De la Vallée
Jean de la Vallée was a French-born architect, who lived and worked in Sweden. He was the son of Simon de la Vallée, who was killed by a Swedish nobleman in 1642. The father had started the planning of the House of Knights in Stockholm, and in 1660 his son finished his father's work...
in 1662-1667, the alley passing between them and named after the vicinity to the former, first appears in historical records as Riddarhuus Gränden in 1718. It was initially intended as the northern extension of Stora Nygatan
Stora Nygatan
Stora Nygatan is a street in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden.Old names : nyegatun , nyia gaatan, den nya Konnungsgatun, stora konungsgatun , den store Nye gatan , Konnungsgatun , Nye gaten, KongsGaten , Kongs- eller stoora Nygatan, stora Kongs- el' Nygatan , Stora...
, a street stretching north through the old town to Riddarhustorget, and in turn the result of the reconstruction of the western part of the old town following the great fire of 1625.
Before the bridge Vasabron was constructed in the 1870s, the alley was a peripheral passage leading to a remote quay and, as its width of 7 metres still knows to tell, it was not designed to take up heavy traffic loads. With the completion of the bridge things changed considerably, and, as intimated by the 18 metres wide bridge, intentions in the 19th century was to widen the alley at the expense of the Bonde Palace to give space to a second roadway. As these plans were never carried out, traffic is still forced to make a detour around the intact palace.
The eastern façade of the House of Knights is one of the most elaborated of its kind in Sweden, richly decorated with acorn
Acorn
The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...
s, oak leaf
Oak Leaf
Oak leaf may refer to:Military* Oak leaf cluster, a U.S. military decoration* A bronze oak leaf device is also used to signify a Mention in Despatches or the award of the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in Commonwealth militaries...
s, and a great variety of flowers in sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, while the half metre tall letters on the frieze of the roof, ornamented in gold leaf
Gold leaf
right|thumb|250px|[[Burnishing]] gold leaf with an [[agate]] stone tool, during the water gilding processGold leaf is gold that has been hammered into extremely thin sheets and is often used for gilding. Gold leaf is available in a wide variety of karats and shades...
proclaim DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI ("Delightful and honourable it is to die for the Patrimony/Country"). The façade and all the details were carefully restored by specialists in 2004.
Lately, selected buildings and historical structures in central Stockholm have been the subjects for a project entitled Projekt Nattljus ("Project Night Light"), intended to give the city a face-lift by letting spotlights enlighten façades, bridges, fountains, etcetera. Riddarhusgränd is included in the project as part of the lighting design for Riddarhustorget.