Läckö Castle

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Läckö Castle
Läckö Castle
Location map

Läckö Castle ( Swedish Läckö slott ) in Västergötland on the island of Kållandsö in Vänern is one of Sweden's baroque castles . The history of the castle dates back to the Middle Ages when it was used as a fortress for bishops and kings. It did not get its baroque appearance until the 17th century, when Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie expanded and rebuilt the castle according to the ideal of the time. Today the castle is an attraction. Additional visitors are attracted with exhibitions and opera events. The small but magnificent palace garden has a new, impressive garden theme every year.

history

In 1298, Bishop Brynolf Algotsson von Skara had a fortress built on the island of Kållandsö, a strategically favorable location on Lake Vänern. The fortress was easy to reach by ship and, located on a peninsula, could be defended well. The complex was expanded in the 14th century, but completely destroyed in a fire towards the end of the 1470s. In their place, a castle with two corner towers was built by Bishop Brynolf Gerlachsson from 1478 to 1505 . Bishop Vincens Henningsson continued the reconstruction for the Diocese of Skara in 1505, but was executed in the course of the Stockholm bloodbath in 1520. In 1520 the last Catholic bishop, Magnus Haraldsson, took over the castle, but left Sweden after the unsuccessful uprising of the "Lords of Västergötland" in 1529. As part of the Reformation , Läckö was drafted in 1527 by King Gustav I. Vasa , so it was royal for the first time Hands.

In 1543 the castle fell to Svante Sture , Märta Eriksdotter Leijonhuvud's husband . Baron Hogenskield Bielke , Anna Sture's husband, receives Läckö, who has it renovated. From 1591–1593 the castle was owned by the Swedish crown.

Hogenskield Bielke returned to the castle in 1593 , but was jailed for high treason and executed in 1605. In 1600 Duke Johann von Östergötland , the only son of Johann III, took over the castle . and Gunilla Bielke , by marrying Princess Maria Elisabeth. In 1610, however, the crown took over the castle again.

In 1615 Läckö and the surrounding area were given as a fief to Count Jakob De la Gardie . He was the husband of Ebba Brahe . De la Gardie began extensive expansion of the castle. After his death, his son, Chancellor Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie , continued the expansion. Architects, artisans and artists were partly recruited from abroad (especially Germany ). In this context one speaks today of a Läckö school, which was created by the painters and sculptors who worked on the interior of the castle. It was the highlight of the castle's history when it went from a Renaissance castle to a Baroque one.

In the great reduction of 1681 the castle was withdrawn from the crown on May 12th. The Läckö estates were dissolved.

In 1684 Bernt Papegoja was appointed captain of Läckö. In 1719, Count and Chancellor Carl Gustaf Dücker leased the castle. In 1732 it was taken over by Chancellor Count Claes Ekeblad. In 1752, the husband of Lovisa Ulrika Sparre af Sundby, Carl Gustaf Tessin, was granted the castle for life. He subjected it to an interior renovation. From 1770 to 1805 Läckö belonged to Count Gustaf Adolf Hierne. In 1810 it was awarded to Carl Johan Adlercreutz under the name Siikajoki for his services to the fatherland. However, this name never caught on. In 1815 the brother of Carl Johan, Gustaf Magnus, took over the castle. From 1845 to 1914 the castle was owned by the Carl Rudenschöld family before it was again taken over by the crown.

In the last few centuries it lost its importance and fell into disrepair. The furniture and works of art were shipped to Stockholm and other castles. Renovation of the castle only began in the 20th century, and since 1965 it has been leased to the Västergötlands Tourist Office, which organizes tours of the castle and exhibitions in the summer. Operas are also performed in the courtyard.

From 1965 to 1990 the castle was under the administration of Västsvenska Turistrådet. Since 1993 it has been managed by Statens fastighetsverk . The castle is under monument protection as Byggnadsminne . To give an idea of ​​what the palace looked like in the Baroque era, the rooms and halls on the two upper floors were furnished with furniture, works of art and objects from the 17th century.

The small castle church was built between 1655 and 1668 by Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie during his lifetime. Today it is one of the best preserved churches in Sweden from that time. The interior of the church is adorned with numerous sculptures and paintings by the most famous artists of the time. There are large wooden sculptures in the window niches.

When the castle church was built, a small castle garden was laid out to absorb the special atmosphere of the spiritual neighborhood to the church. Access to the seclusion behind high walls was once directly via the church gallery. At the beginning of the 20th century, the garden was brought to life by master horticulturalist Simon Irvine . Every year up to 12,000 plants give the garden a new face. The high walls ensure a good microclimate and good plant growth in the garden.

tourism

At the foot of the castle hill in a westerly direction there is a small public boat harbor, which boats with a draft of up to 2.50 m can enter. The harbor is safe in all wind directions. There is a pier to the north of the castle, which the Göta Canal Rederiaktiebolag ships regularly call at. The castle is open to visitors in summer. Operas are regularly performed in the castle courtyard in summer.

Individual evidence

Web links

Commons : Schloss Läckö  - album with pictures, videos and audio files


Coordinates: 58 ° 40 ′ 30 ″  N , 13 ° 13 ′ 12 ″  E