Fredensborg Castle
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Fredensborg Palace (; ) is a
palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...
located on the eastern shore of
Lake Esrum Lake Esrum (, ) is the largest lake in Denmark by water volume and the second-largest lake by surface area, after lake Arresø. It is situated in the central part of North Zealand (the northeastern region of Zealand), straddling the boundaries of ...
( Danish, ''Esrum Sø'') in
Fredensborg Fredensborg () is a railway town located in Fredensborg Municipality, North Zealand, some 30 kilometres north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is most known for Fredensborg Palace, one of the official residences of the Danish royal family. As of 1 Janua ...
on the island of
Zealand Zealand ( ) is the largest and most populous islands of Denmark, island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size) at 7,031 km2 (2715 sq. mi.). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 Januar ...
(''Sjælland'') in
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
. It is the
Danish royal family The Danish royal family is the dynastic family of the monarch of Denmark. While some members of the Danish royal family hold the title of ''Prince(ss) of Denmark'', descendants of Margrethe II additionally bear the title '' Count(ess) of Monpe ...
’s spring and autumn residence, and is often the site of important state visits and events in the royal family. It is the most used of the royal family’s residences.


History

At the end of the
Great Northern War In the Great Northern War (1700–1721) a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the ant ...
King Frederick IV asked architect
Johan Cornelius Krieger Johan Cornelius Krieger (1683–1755) was a Danish architect and landscape architect, who from the 1720s served as both the country's chief architect, and head of the royal gardens. Krieger oversaw the construction of Fredensborg Palace and its ...
, royal gardener to the court at
Rosenborg Castle Rosenborg Castle () is a renaissance castle in Copenhagen, Denmark. The castle was originally built as a country summerhouse in 1606 and is an example of Christian IV's many architectural projects. It was built in the Dutch Renaissance style, t ...
, to build him a small pleasure palace on the site of a farmyard named Østrup. Krieger built the French-inspired
baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
palace 1720–1726, and the King himself took an active part in the planning of the building and grounds, and followed construction closely. The man responsible for the actual construction was General Building Master Johan Conrad Ernst, who was also responsible for the construction of
Frederiksberg Palace Frederiksberg Palace () is a Baroque architecture, Baroque residence, located in Frederiksberg, Denmark, adjacent to the Copenhagen Zoo. It commands a view over Frederiksberg Gardens, originally designed as a palace garden in the Baroque style. ...
. While the building was still under construction
Denmark–Norway Denmark–Norway (Danish language, Danish and Norwegian language, Norwegian: ) is a term for the 16th-to-19th-century multi-national and multi-lingual real unionFeldbæk 1998:11 consisting of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Kingdom of Norway (includ ...
and
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
negotiated a peace treaty, which was signed on 3 July 1720, on the site of the unfinished palace. The treaty determined the fate of
Skåne Scania ( ), also known by its native name of Skåne (), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces () of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous w ...
, which since that time has been a part of Sweden, and ended Denmark’s eleven-year participation in the Great Northern War.Fredensborg Palace and Palace Gardens
- Agency for Palaces & Cultural Properties (ses.dk).
To commemorate the signing of the peace accord the palace was named ''Fredens Borg'' (lit. "Peace's Castle"). The palace complex consisted of a small, almost square, -storey-high main palace with dome and lanterns. It is positioned exactly at the centre of what is known as a "hunting star" ( Danish, ''jagtstjerne''), a number of straight intersecting paths in a game hunting reserve. During a hunt it was permissible to shoot freely straight down the long paths, which radiated out from the centre. The dome hall measured 15 x , and had a height of . The sumptuous room featured stucco by C.E. Brenno and a
plafond A plafond (French for "ceiling"), in a broad sense, is a (flat, vaulted or dome) ceiling. A plafond can be a product of monumental painting or sculpture. Picturesque plafonds can be painted directly on plaster (as a fresco, oil, tempera, syn ...
by
Hendrick Krock Hendrick Krock (21 July 1671 – 18 November 1738) was a Danish history painter who, from 1706, was the court painter of Frederick IV as well as his successor Christian VI. Along with Benoit Le Coffre set the tone for history painting in Denmark ...
. In front of the main building was placed an octagonal courtyard encircled by the single-
storey A storey (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) or story (American English), is any level part of a building with a floor that could be used by people (for living, work, storage, recreation, etc.). Plurals for the wor ...
servants' wings, called Red Wing. It is the only red building at Fredensborg Palace, and it has open half-timbers under a red tile roof. East of the octagon were the riding ring and the long
stable A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed. Styles There are many different types of stables in use tod ...
s building. Further to the east and adjacent to the main palace was an Orangery and the one-storey building called Margrave House. The Orangery, which was equipped with huge glasshouse windows, was connected to the main building by a small secret passage, so that the royal family and the courtiers could walk to the chapel without getting their feet wet. The palace chapel stood in the middle of the two buildings, and has an exaggerated copper spire, a
pilaster In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...
-decorated façade facing the riding ring, and a heavily carved
gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
featuring a bust of Frederik IV in relief carved by Didrick Gercken. On the other side of the church was the Courtiers Wing ("''Kavalerfløj''"), residences for the court's clerks and members of the royal household. This section of the palace was built from 1724 to 1726, and introduces elements of the
Dutch Baroque Dutch Baroque architecture is a variety of Baroque architecture that flourished in the Dutch Republic and its colonies during the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century. (Dutch painting during the period is covered by Dutch Golden Age painting). ...
style and Rococo. The palace was extended throughout the early 18th century; however, the main structure of the palace has remained unchanged since its inauguration on 11 October 1722, the King's 51st birthday. Krieger completed his work on the palace with the erection of the “new Court Chancery building” in 1731. The black-glazed tile, half-hipped roof building is now known as The Chancellery House. It butted up to the riding-ring on the southern edge. A major alteration of Krieger's original building was made in 1741–1744 when
Lauritz de Thurah Laurids Lauridsen de Thurah, known as Lauritz de Thurah (4 March 1706 – 5 September 1759), was a Danish architect and architectural writer. He became the most important Danish architect of the late baroque period. As an architectural write ...
, the King's favorite architect, elevated the roof of the palace's main building. The slanted roof was replaced by a flat one, and a characteristically de Thurah sandstone
balustrade A baluster () is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its ...
was erected. In 1751 he also transformed the Orangery into a residential building for the ladies-in-waiting. In 1753
Nicolai Eigtved Nicolai Eigtved (4 June 1701 – 7 June 1754), also known as Niels Eigtved, was a Denmark, Danish architect. He introduced and was the leading proponent of the French rococo or late baroque style in Danish architecture during the 1730s–1740s. ...
extended the palace by adding four symmetrically positioned corner pavilions with copper pyramid-shaped roofs to the main building.


Royal residence

In the 19th century,
King Christian IX Christian IX (8 April 181829 January 1906) was King of Denmark from 15 November 1863 until his death in 1906. From 1863 to 1864, he was concurrently Duke of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg. A younger son of Frederick William, Duke of Schleswi ...
and Queen Louise (who counted
Queen Alexandra Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was List of British royal consorts, queen-consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 Januar ...
of the United Kingdom,
King George I of Greece George I (Greek language, Greek: Γεώργιος Α΄, Romanization, romanized: ''Geórgios I''; 24 December 1845 – 18 March 1913) was King of Greece from 30 March 1863 until Assassination of George I of Greece, his assassination on 18 March ...
and Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia amongst their children) used Fredensborg to host annual family reunions. There, their grandchildren, including the future
Tsar Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until his abdication on 15 March 1917. He marrie ...
and Kings
George V of the United Kingdom George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. George was born during the reign of his pa ...
,
Haakon VII of Norway Haakon VII (; 3 August 187221 September 1957) was King of Norway from 18 November 1905 until his death in 1957. The future Haakon VII was born in Copenhagen as Prince Carl of Denmark. He was the second son of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess ...
,
Constantine I of Greece Constantine I (, Romanization, romanized: ''Konstantínos I''; – 11 January 1923) was King of Greece from 18 March 1913 to 11 June 1917 and again from 19 December 1920 to 27 September 1922. He was commander-in-chief of the Hellenic Army dur ...
, and Queen Maud of Norway, would play games in the park. Queen Margrethe uses Fredensborg as a spring and autumn residence, and it is the usual venue for her birthday celebrations every April. The Queen's younger sister, Princess Benedikte, married HH Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg at the Chapel of Fredensborg Palace on 3 February 1968. Until her death, the late Queen Mother, Queen
Ingrid Ingrid may refer to: * Ingrid (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Ingrid Burley (born 1986), rapper known mononymously as Ingrid * Ingrid (record label), also an artist collective * Tropical Storm Ingrid, various cy ...
used the Chancellery House at Fredensborg as her private residence. The Chancellery House is now the summer residence of
Frederik X Frederik X (Frederik André Henrik Christian, ; born 26 May 1968) is King of Denmark. He acceded to the throne following Abdication of Margrethe II, his mother's abdication in 2024. Frederik is the eldest son of Margrethe II and Prince Henri ...
and Queen Mary.


The park and gardens

The palace gardens are among Denmark's largest historical gardens, and are Denmark's finest example of a
Baroque garden The Baroque garden was a style of garden based upon symmetry and the principle of imposing order on nature. The style originated in the late-16th century in Italy, in the gardens of the Vatican and the Villa Borghese gardens in Rome and in the ...
. These too were designed by Krieger, and were extended and altered during the 18th century. The long, straight avenues which extend from the castle in a star-shaped pattern were recreated in the 1970s to 1990s. Between these avenues lies large wooded areas with winding paths. Most of the statues in the gardens were sculptured by
Johannes Wiedewelt Johannes Wiedewelt (1 July 1731 – 17 December 1802), Danish neoclassical sculptor. He became a court sculptor, introducing neoclassical ideals to Denmark in the form of palace decorations, garden sculptures and artifacts and, especially, m ...
.Fredensborg Palace
- The Danish Monarchy website (kongehuset.dk). Retrieved 29 January 2011.
Of special interest is the "Valley of the Norsemen" () with approximately 70 sculptures of Norwegian and Faroese farmers and fishermen, originally carved by J.G. Grund. The garden is open all year round. The area of the gardens closest to the palace is reserved for the royal family, but is usually open to the public in July. Here are the kitchen gardens, which supply fresh vegetables for the household, and a modern
orangery An orangery or orangerie is a room or dedicated building, historically where orange and other fruit trees are protected during the winter, as a large form of greenhouse or conservatory. In the modern day an orangery could refer to either ...
, which was opened in 1995. In 2021, after extensive restorations and redesign of the gardens, the Fredensborg Palace Garden was awarded the prestigious European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage by the international cultural heritage association,
Europa Nostra Award Europa may refer to: Places * Europa (Roman province), a province within the Diocese of Thrace * Europa (Seville Metro), Seville, Spain; a station on the Seville Metro * Europa City, Paris, France; a planned development * Europa Cliffs, Alexan ...
. The jury noted that the Garden was an "exemplary redesign (...) and the combination of public and private funding for a public garden is a positive example for other similar heritage gardens". Image:FredenborgCastleFront.jpg, A soldier marching in front of the palace Image:Fredensborg Palace from the garden.jpg, A view of the palace from the garden Image:Nordmandsdalen 23-08-05 1.jpg, Sculptures in the ''Valley of the Norsemen''


Surrounding forests

Two of the forests in the surrounding area,
Gribskov Gribskov (Grib Forest) is Denmark's fourth largest forest, comprising c. 5,600 ha of woodland situated in northern Zealand, west and south of Lake Esrum. The forest is owned and administered by Directorate of State Forestry (Denmark), the State of ...
and
Store Dyrehave Store Dyrehave (literally Large Animal Park) is a forest located to the east of the village Ny Hammersholt immediately south of Hillerød, on both sides of Lyngby Kongevej, Københavnsvej, in North Zealand, Denmark. Consisting of conifers and beec ...
, were developed in the 1680s under
King Christian V Christian V (15 April 1646 – 25 August 1699) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1670 until his death in 1699. Well-regarded by the common people, he was the first king anointed at Frederiksborg Castle chapel as absolute monarch since the de ...
for par force hunting with a mathematically designed system of access roads. They have now been included in the
UNESCO World Heritage List World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...
under
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 ...
.


See also

* Johann Gottfried Grund


Namesakes

* Fort Fredensborg *
Fredensborg (slave ship) ''Fredensborg'' was a frigate built in Copenhagen in 1753. She was originally named ''Cron Prindz Christian'' after the crown prince, the future king Christian VII of Denmark and Norway, and was fitted out as a slave ship. Service As ''Cron P ...


See also

*
List of Baroque residences This is a list of Baroque architecture, Baroque palaces and Residenz, residences built in the late 17th and 18th centuries. Baroque architecture is a building style of the Baroque, Baroque era, begun in late 16th-century Italy and spread in Europe ...
*
List of castles and palaces in Denmark This is a consolidated list of castles and palaces in Denmark. The Danish word ''slot '', like the word ''schloss'' in the related Germanic language— modern German— can mean either castle, a Country house or palace, in accordance with commo ...
*
Tourism in Denmark Tourism in Denmark is a growing industry and a major economic contributor. Tourists spent a total of DKK 128 billion and the tourism industry employed 161,999 people in full time positions in 2017. In 2018, tourists from Denmark's neighbori ...


References

* "Royal Residences for 1000 years", Niels Peter Stilling (2003), Politiken Books.


External links

* - From the Danish Monarchy website * Fredensborg Palace , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMwL90pPHbA on Youtube {{Authority control Palaces in Northern Zealand Royal residences in Denmark Houses in Fredensborg Municipality Houses completed in 1726 Baroque palaces in Denmark Listed buildings and structures in Fredensborg Municipality Fredensborg Municipality 1726 establishments in Denmark Christian IX of Denmark