Falkonergården () was a
royal
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family or Royalty (disambiguation), royalty
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Ill ...
Danish facility for stabling of
peregrine falcon
The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known simply as the peregrine, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family (biology), family Falconidae renowned for its speed. A large, Corvus (genus), cro ...
s for
falconry
Falconry is the hunting of wild animals in their natural state and habitat by means of a trained bird of prey. Small animals are hunted; squirrels and rabbits often fall prey to these birds. Two traditional terms are used to describe a person ...
located in
Frederiksberg
Frederiksberg () is a part of the Capital Region of Denmark. It is an independent municipality, Frederiksberg Municipality, separate from Copenhagen Municipality, but both are a part of the region of Copenhagen. It occupies an area of less tha ...
outside
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
from 1670. It closed in 1810 and the buildings have been demolished except for one wing which is still seen in an alley off
Falkoner Allé
Falkoner Alle (literal translation, lit. "Falconer Avenue") is one of the main streets of Frederiksberg in Copenhagen, Denmark. It runs from Frederiksberg Town Hall Square in the south to Åboulevard, Ågade on the border with Nørrebro in the nor ...
(between No. 112 and No. 120). Falkonergården is commemorated in
Frederiksberg Municipality
Frederiksberg Kommune is a municipality ( Danish, '' kommune'') on the island of Zealand (''Sjælland'') in Denmark. Part of the Capital Region of Denmark and the city of Copenhagen, it is surrounded by Copenhagen Municipality. The municipality, ...
's shield as well as in the names of several buildings and public spaces.
History
In 1662, Crown Prince Christian went on a European journey which took him to
Louis XIV
LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
's court where he was first introduced to
falconry
Falconry is the hunting of wild animals in their natural state and habitat by means of a trained bird of prey. Small animals are hunted; squirrels and rabbits often fall prey to these birds. Two traditional terms are used to describe a person ...
. Back in Denmark, he established Falkonergården as a facility for stabling of peregrine falcons in 1670. It was situated next to the Ladegård Canal at his mother queen downer
Sophie Amalie's new summer retreat
Prinsessegården in Hollænderbyen (as Frederiksberg was then called) to the west of Copenhagen. The peregrine falcons were annually brought home from
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
and
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
, which were then ruled from Denmark. The birds were used by the king for falconry but also as highly praised gifts for foreign rulers by the Danish kings on their journeys abroad. Falkonergården was in the beginning referred to as Jagt-Huset ("The Hunting House") and occasionally also used for stabling of the king's hunting dogs.
The street
Falkoner Allé
Falkoner Alle (literal translation, lit. "Falconer Avenue") is one of the main streets of Frederiksberg in Copenhagen, Denmark. It runs from Frederiksberg Town Hall Square in the south to Åboulevard, Ågade on the border with Nørrebro in the nor ...
is Falkonergården's former driveway and was former driveway and was gated at each end. A stone bridge was built across the Ladegård Canal from where a track ran north, providing royal hunting parties with a shortcut on their way to
Jægersborg Dyrehave
Dyrehaven (Danish language, Danish "The Deer Park"), officially Jægersborg Dyrehave, is a forest park north of Copenhagen in the municipality of Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality, Lyngby-Taarbæk. To the north it borders Jægersborgs Hegn, which ...
. It was expanded into a wider, tree-lined avenue used for hunting in 1750 and later developed into the busy thoroughfare
Jagtvej
Jagtvej () is a major artery in the Nørrebro and Østerbro districts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It runs from Åboulevard, Ågade on the border with Frederiksberg in the southwest to Østerbrogade in the northeast, linking Falkoner Allé with Strand ...
.
Falkoner Allé was opened to the public after Hømarken (literally "Hayfield"), an area to the north belonging to
Ladegården, originally a farm under
Copenhagen Castle
Copenhagen Castle () was a castle on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built in the late 14th century and was located at the site of the current Christiansborg Palace.
History
In 1167, Bishop Absalon (c. 112 ...
, was auctioned off. The Falkonergården closed in 1810 and the last falcons were gifted to the Portuguese court. The buildings were then used as a wax candle factory. It produced perfume and soap under the name Falkonergårdens Fabrikker ("Falkonergården's Factories"( until the 1910s. The buildings were then torn down except for a single wing which is still seen in the alley between No. 112 and No. 120.
Legacy
The shield of
Frederiksberg Municipality
Frederiksberg Kommune is a municipality ( Danish, '' kommune'') on the island of Zealand (''Sjælland'') in Denmark. Part of the Capital Region of Denmark and the city of Copenhagen, it is surrounded by Copenhagen Municipality. The municipality, ...
features three falcons in commemoration of Falkonergården and the role it has played in the municipality's history. One of two memorial fountains on
Sankt Thomas Plads
Sankt Thomas Plads is a round plaza located on Frederiksberg Allé, near its eastern end (where it meets Vesterbrogade) in the Frederiksberg district of Copenhagen, Denmark.
History
Sankt Thomas Plads traces its history back to the years between ...
feature a falconer.
Falkonergården is also commemorated in the toponyms
Falkoner Allé
Falkoner Alle (literal translation, lit. "Falconer Avenue") is one of the main streets of Frederiksberg in Copenhagen, Denmark. It runs from Frederiksberg Town Hall Square in the south to Åboulevard, Ågade on the border with Nørrebro in the nor ...
and Falkoner Plads (Falconer Square).
See also
*
Par force hunting landscape in North Zealand
The Par force hunting landscape in North Zealand is a collection of hunting grounds and forests north of Copenhagen. The landscape was submitted for admission to the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites on 1 August 2010 and was inscribed on 4 July ...
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Falkonergarden
1670 establishments in Denmark
Demolished buildings and structures in Denmark
Former houses in Copenhagen
Falconry
Former buildings and structures in Frederiksberg Municipality
History of Frederiksberg