Kalmar Castle

Coordinates: 56°39′29″N 16°21′18″E / 56.658°N 16.355°E / 56.658; 16.355
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Kalmar Castle
Native name
Swedish: Kalmar slott
LocationKalmar, Småland, Sweden

Kalmar Castle (Swedish: Kalmar slott) is a castle in the city Kalmar in the province of Småland in Sweden.[1]

History

The castle chapel.

During the twelfth century a round defensive tower was built on

medieval
harbor, it has played a crucial part in Swedish history since its initial construction as a fortified tower in the 12th century.

One of the most significant political events in

Gustav I and his sons King Eric XIV and King John III, who turned the medieval fortress into a castle fit for a renaissance
king.

The garrison was loyal to King Sigismund during the rebellion by Duke Charles, and continued to hold out even after Sigismund was decisively defeated at the Battle of Stångebro. The castle was therefore besieged by the duke's forces in March 1599, and was compelled to surrender on 12 May. The three commanders were subsequently killed, along with nineteen other members of the garrison, in a mass execution traditionally known as the Second Kalmar Bloodbath.[3]

Kalmar Castle suffered heavy damage during the Siege of Kalmar, the main engagement and namesake of the Kalmar War (1611-3), and was badly damaged by a fire in 1642. Repairs were begun, but from the end of the seventeenth century the castle was allowed to fall into disrepair.

The castle before its latest reconstruction

Restoration

In 1856, architect Fredrik Wilhelm Scholander (1816–1881) initiated reconstruction/restoration work at Kalmar Castle. His pupil Helgo Zettervall continued restoring Kalmar Castle in the 1880s. Architect Carl Möller drew up the plans and other documents. The work began in 1885 and by 1891 the castle had gained the silhouette it bears today. In 1919 professor Martin Olsson was charged with the continuing restoration of earthworks, the moat, the bridge and the drawbridge. Work continued until 1941, when the castle was once more surrounded by water. Today, it is one of Sweden's best preserved renaissance castles and is open to the public.[4]

SVT's Luciamorgon in December 2023 was celebrated inside the castle.[5]

References

  1. Statens fastighetsverk
  2. ^ "Kalmar Castle (Castle of the Day)". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2010-07-04.
  3. ^ "Kalmar Blodbad". Nordisk familjebok. 13: 673–4. Archived from the original on 2022-01-02. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  4. ^ "Kalmar Castle: Sweden's Royal Hub (Smithsonian Institution)". Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2010-07-04.
  5. ^ Hamed Ubaidi (13 December 2023). "Alma från Kalmar blev hela Sveriges Lucia" (in Swedish). SVT Nyheter. Retrieved 13 December 2023.

Other sources

  • Kaufmann, J.E. Kaufmann & H.W. The Medieval Fortress: Castles, Forts and Walled Cities of the Middle Ages (MA: Da Capo Press, 2004)

Gallery

  • General view
    General view
  • Bastion
    Bastion
  • Main entrance
    Main entrance
  • Indoor
    Indoor
  • In the evening
    In the evening
  • View from sea
    View from sea
  • Kalmar castle courtyard facade and stairs
    Kalmar castle courtyard facade and stairs

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kalmar castle.

56°39′29″N 16°21′18″E / 56.658°N 16.355°E / 56.658; 16.355

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