Roskilde Mansion (
Danish: Det Gule Palæ i Roskilde), also known as Roskilde Palace and as the Yellow Mansion (Danish: Det Gule Palæ), is a former royal
Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
mansion in central
Roskilde,
Denmark. Located just east of
Roskilde Cathedral, it now houses both an exhibition venue and the office and official residence of the Bishop of Roskilde.
History
Roskilde Mansion replaced a
bishop's
palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...
which had stood at the site since the Middle Ages. Commissioned by King
Christian VI
Christian VI (30 November 1699 – 6 August 1746) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1730 to 1746. The eldest surviving son of Frederick IV and Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, he is considered one of Denmark-Norway's more anonymous kings, ...
, the new building was constructed to provide a residence for the royal family when they passed through the city or attended royal funerals and other ceremonies in
Roskilde Cathedral.
Lauritz de Thurah who had recently been engaged as royal master builder, was charged with its design in 1733 and the palace was completed in 1736.
During the
English siege of Copenhagen in 1807, the mansion served as headquarters of general
Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington. Later in the century, it provided a venue for the so-called Assembly of the Estates (Danish: Stænderforsamlingerne for øerne), a key event leading up to the adoption of the Danish constitution in 1849.
Architecture
Built in the
Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
style, in yellow-washed masonry and with red tile roofs, the four-winged complex consists of a two-storey main wing, two one-storey lateral wings and a curved gate wing opening to the
Stændertorvet. The four wings are connected by curving galleries.
Facing the courtyard, the facade of the main wing has
pilasters and a
median risalit tipped by a triangular
pediment decorated with the royal coat of arms.
Dating from the 13th century, the Gate of Absalon which connects the mansion to the apse of Roskilde Cathedral, is the only surviving part of the former bishop's palace.
Image:Roskilde003.JPG, The median risalit of the Palace Wing
Image:Roskilde Palace - lateral wing.jpg, Courtyard view of one of the lateral wings
Image:Roskilde Palace - side view.jpg, Lateral wing seen from the cathedral
Image:Absalonsbuen (Roskilde).jpg, The Arch of Absalon
Roskilde Mansion today
Since 1924, one of the wings has been home to the office and official residence of the Bishop of Roskilde. The rest of the complex houses Roskilde Art Association and the Palace Collections. At the end of 2021 the Museum of Contemporary Art, founded in 1991, moved out of the mansion to establish a museum without a permanent building. The mansion's gardens and courtyard are also used for exhibitions, concerts and other cultural events.
See also
*
Bispegården, Copenhagen
References
External links
Model of the former Bishop's Palace
{{Authority control
Listed buildings and structures in Roskilde Municipality
Baroque architecture in Denmark
Houses in Roskilde Municipality
Official residences in Denmark
Houses completed in 1736
Museums in Region Zealand
Royal residences in Denmark