Läckö Castle (

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

: '' Läckö Slott'' ) is a medieval

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

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 ...

, located on

Kållandsö Kållandsö is an island in lake Vänern in Sweden. With an area of 56.78 km ² it is the second largest island in the lake after Torsö. It is the northernmost part of the municipality of Lidköping. Kållandsö and the surrounding archip ...

island on Lake Vänern, 25 kilometers north of Lidköping in Västergötland, Sweden.

History

Brynolf Algotsson, Bishop of the Diocese of Skara, laid the foundations for a fortified castle in 1298 originally as a fort that consisted of two or three houses surrounded by a wall. After a fire during the 1470s, the fort was expanded by Bishop Brynolf Gerlachsson (1458-1505). Following the Reformation in 1527, King Gustav Vasa took possession. Field Marshal

Jacob Pontusson De la Gardie Field Marshal and Count Jacob Pontusson De la Gardie ( Reval, 20 June 1583 – Stockholm, 22 August 1652) was a statesman and a soldier of the Swedish Empire, and a Marshal from 1620 onward. He was Privy Councilor from 1613 onward, Governo ...

(1583–1652) was granted the property in 1615. Field Marshal de la Gardie embarked on an extensive building spree, including the third floor of the keep. The portal to the main courtyard was added during his period, as were the frescos depicting people and winding plants found in niches, stairwells and the rooms on the third floor. In 1654, Count Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie (1622–1686) initiated major construction projects at Läckö. A fourth floor was built in the main building and a number of artists were hired to decorate the walls and ceilings of the castle. Läckö was later granted to Count Carl Gustaf Tessin (1695–1770) in 1752 and in 1810 to General

Carl Johan Adlercreutz Carl Johan Adlercreutz (27 April 1757 – 21 August 1815) was a Swedish (Finnish) general and statesman, born in Borgå, Finland on family estates. Entering the Swedish army aged 13 in the Finnish Light Cavalry Brigade, he was present when G ...

(1757–1815).

Today

Läckö Castle is a national monument and has been managed by the National Property Board since 1993. The National Property Board (Swedish: ''

Statens fastighetsverk The National Property Board of Sweden ( sv, Statens fastighetsverk, SFV) is a Swedish State administrative authority, organised under the Ministry of Finance. SFV is responsible for managing a portion of the real property assets owned by the Stat ...

''), the Foundation of Läckö Castle (Swedish: ''Stiftelsen Läckö Slott'') and the National Museum of Fine Arts (Swedish: ''Nationalmuseum'') work together to maintain and furnish the castle in the style of the Baroque period.

Läckö Castle Opera Läckö Castle Opera (Swedish: Läckö Slottsopera) is a summer opera company which has staged an opera each summer since 1997. Performances take place in the inner courtyard of the baroque Läckö Castle 25 km from the city of Lidköping in ...

(Swedish: ''Läckö Slottsopera'') puts on an annual opera production in the castle's inner courtyard, with performances for about three weeks beginning in the middle of July.

References

Other Sources

*''The Splendour of The Baroque. Läcko Castle, A Nobleman’s Home in Sweden’s Age of Greatness'' (Lars Sjöberg and Anneli Welin. Stockholm: National Museum of Fine Arts. Text in Swedish. 2001)

External links

Läckö Slott official web siteStiftelsen Läckö Slott: The Foundation of Läckö Slott
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lacko Castle Castles in Västra Götaland County Museums in Västra Götaland County Historic house museums in Sweden