Halmstad Castle (''Halmstads slott'') is a 17th-century castle situated in

Halmstad Halmstad () is a port, university, industrial and recreational city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Socia ...

, in the province of Halland,

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

. During the first half of the 17th century, Halland was a province of

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 = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

. In 1595 the farm on the site where the castle now stands was purchased for use as a residence for the Danish Christian IV on his visit to Halmstad. It was under the authority of King Christian that the castle was constructed. Construction on the castle and nine adjoining lots started in 1609. Construction was likely completed in 1615. Construction manager and architect was Dutch architect Willum Cornelissen. The architecture of the castle is typical for the period, in a style known as Christian IV Renaissance. It is more reminiscent of contemporary Danish country houses than an elegant royal palace. With the Second Treaty of Brömsebro (1645), and finally the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658, the castle came under the authority of Bengt Christoffersson Lilliehook, the first Swedish governor of Halland. When Halland became a province of Sweden, Halmstad Castle become a residence of visiting Swedish kings. The Swedes reinforced the castle, and in 1658 an inner fortress was finished and the facade had been much smaller window. From 1770 and until today, the castle has been restored several times. In modern times it has become the traditional residence of the governor of

Halland County Halland County ( sv, Hallands län, link=no, ) is a county ('' län'') on the western coast of Sweden. It corresponds roughly to the cultural and historical province of Halland. The capital is Halmstad. It borders the counties of Västra Göta ...

. The governor of the castle and the local authority have some of its offices here. In 1999 Music of Halland (''Musik i Halland'') moved in, and during 2000 Halmstad Tourist (''Halmstads Turistbyrå'') established its offices in the east wing.

Pictures

Image:Halmstads slott-1.JPG, Image:Halmstads slott.jpg, Image:Halmstads slott-2.JPG, Image:Halmstads slott-3.JPG,

References

External links

Halmstads slott
Castles in Halland County Official residences of Swedish county governors {{Sweden-castle-stub