Bertel Thorvaldsens Plads (
English
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Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
: Bertel Thorvaldsen's Square) is a
public square
A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...
located in front of
Thorvaldsens Museum
The Thorvaldsen Museum is a single-artist museum in Copenhagen, Denmark, dedicated to the art of Danish Neoclassical sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770–1844), who lived and worked in Rome for most of his life (1796–1838). The museum is locat ...
on
Slotsholmen
Slotsholmen (English: The Castle Islet) is an island in the harbour of Copenhagen, Denmark, and part of Copenhagen Inner City. The name is taken from the successive castles and palaces located on the island since Bishop Absalon constructed the c ...
in central
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
,
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
. The two other sides of the triangular space are defined by the rear of
Christiansborg Riding Grounds and Vindebrovej, the street along the
Slotsholmen Canal which separates Slotsholmen from
Gammel Strand
Gammel Strand (modern Danish for "old beach"; originally meant "the old shoreline", i.e. prior to land reclamations) is a street and public square in central Copenhagen, Denmark. On the south side it borders on the narrow Slotsholmens Canal whi ...
.
History
When
Thorvaldsens Museum
The Thorvaldsen Museum is a single-artist museum in Copenhagen, Denmark, dedicated to the art of Danish Neoclassical sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770–1844), who lived and worked in Rome for most of his life (1796–1838). The museum is locat ...
was first built in 1848, its architect,
Michael Gottlieb Bindesbøll
Michael may refer to:
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* Michael (given name), a given name
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Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
, also sketched a project for a square in front of it. Inspired by the at that time newly built
Alte Museum
Alte is a village and civil parish in the municipality of Loulé, in the Algarve region in the south of Portugal. The population in 2011 was 1,997, in an area of 94.33 km².
Situated away from the coast, Alte is known as one of the most typi ...
which he had seen on his visit to
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
in 1824, he proposed a round stone basin filled with water in front of the museum. Another inspiration was the antique basins he had seen in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, which were used as fountains in the city. Bindesbøll's plans also included a replica of
Bertel Thorvaldsen's self-portrait statue and some benches. The rest of the square was to be left empty. Bindesbøll's project was never realised and instead the square was laid out with a lawn and beech trees.
In 2001 the square was remodelled by landscape architect
Torben Schønherr Torben is a Danish variant of the given name Torbjörn.
People named Torben include:
*Torben Betts (born 1968), English playwright and screenwriter
*Torben Boye (born 1966), Danish former footballer
*Torben Frank (born 1968), Danish former footbal ...
.
Bertel Thorvaldsens Plads today
The square is paved with large cobblestones and a single tree and a reflecting pool are the only ornamental features. The pool is designed by
Jørn Larsen
Jørn Larsen (15 December 1926 – 13 June 2004) was a Danish painter and sculptor. He was a member of ''Grønningen'' from 1970 and received the Eckersberg Medal in 1978 and the Thorvaldsen Medal in 1989. He represented Denmark at the Venice Bie ...
and has a diameter of 16 metres and a geometrical pattern characteristic of his style.
The square is sometimes used for markets.
See also
*
Parks and open spaces in Copenhagen
Copenhagen is a green city well endowed with open spaces. It has an extensive and well-distributed system of parks that act as venues for a wide array of events and urban life. As a supplement to the regular parks, there are a number of congenial ...
References
External links
{{coord, 55.6763, 12.5773, type:landmark_region:DK, display=title
Squares in Copenhagen
Slotsholmen