Simon de la Vallée (1590–1642) was a French-Swedish architect. The first architect in Sweden to have received formal academic training, he created the Swedish school of architecture.

Biography

Born in Paris, he was the son of Marin de la Vallée (1576–1655), an architect associated with the Paris Hôtel de Ville and the

Luxembourg Palace The Luxembourg Palace (french: Palais du Luxembourg, ) is at 15 Rue de Vaugirard in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. It was originally built (1615–1645) to the designs of the French architect Salomon de Brosse to be the royal residence of the ...

. After studying under

Salomon de Brosse Salomon de Brosse (c. 1571 – 8 December 1626) was an early 17th-century French architect who moved away from late Mannerism to reassert the French classical style and was a major influence on François Mansart. Life Salomon was born in V ...

(1571–1626), he spent the next eight years on several study trips, travelling in particular to Italy, Syria, Jerusalem and Persia. After returning to Paris in 1633, he was charged by Prince Frederick Henry of Orange to undertake work on the Honselaarsdijk Palace in the Netherlands."Simon de la Vallée"
''Historiesajten.se''. Retrieved 2 May 2012. In 1637, he was invited to Stockholm by Field Marshal Åke Tott (1598-1640) on behalf of

Queen Christina of Sweden Christina ( sv, Kristina, 18 December (New Style) 1626 – 19 April 1689), a member of the House of Vasa, was Queen of Sweden in her own right from 1632 until her abdication in 1654. She succeeded her father Gustavus Adolphus upon his death ...

where he first worked on

Ekolsund Castle Ekolsund Castle is a manor house situated at Enköping Municipality in Uppsala County, Sweden. History A estate has been known since the 14th century. In the 15th century, it was owned by Bengt Jönsson (Oxenstierna). After having been acquir ...

. In 1639, he was given the title of Royal Architect. His commissions included the castles of Tidö and

Hässelby Hässelby is a Swedish town that is a part of Hässelby-Vällingby in the city of Stockholm, Sweden, comprising the suburban areas Hässelby Gård, Hässelby Strand and Hässelby Villastad. The territory also corresponds to Hässelby parish in ...

as well as several palaces in Stockholm. He designed the exquisite

Riddarhuset The House of Nobility ( sv, Riddarhuset) in Stockholm, Sweden, is a corporation and a building that maintains records and acts as an interest group on behalf of the Swedish nobility. Name The name is literally translated as ''House of Knights' ...

but was killed by the nobleman Erik Oxenstierna (1624-1656), a week after construction had begun. The building was completed by his son

Jean de la Vallée Jean de la Vallée (ca 1620 – 12 March 1696) was a Swedish architect. Biography Born in France, he was the son of architect Simon de la Vallée (ca 1595–1642). He made early trips in France and Italy where he studied the new baroque forms ...

whom he had trained as an architect. Other buildings designed by Simon de la Vallée include

Axel Oxenstierna Palace Axel Oxenstierna palace is a Mannerist architecture style building situated in the Old Town of Stockholm, Sweden. History Designed by the architect Jean de la Vallée (ca 1620–1696) for Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna (1583 – 1654) and began ...

, inspired by the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

palaces of

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of works by Raphael, His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of ...

, and the octagonal

Hedvig Eleonora Church Hedvig Eleonora Church ( sv, Hedvig Eleonora kyrka) is a church in central Stockholm, Sweden. It is located at Östermalm and belongs to the Church of Sweden and is parish church for Hedvig Eleonora Parish in the Diocese of Stockholm. The church ...

, both in Stockholm."Simon de la Vallée" from "Oxford Dictionary of Architecture and Landscaping"
''Answers.com''. Retrieved 2 May 2012.

Family

Simon de la Vallée was married at least four times, with: *Margarethe de Villars (died 1635) with whom he had two sons, Jean (born 1624) and Henri (born 1634); *Marie le Cockaine (marriage dissolved) *Marie le Tuilliers (marriage dissolved) *Pauline de Courlas, one of Queen Christina's ladies in waiting, with whom he had a son, Gustaf de la Vallée (born 1641).

Principal works

Simon de la Vallée designed or contributed to the design of the following buildings: * Ryning Palace, Stockholm (1640-1644) *

, Stockholm *

Axel Oxenstierna palace Axel Oxenstierna palace is a Mannerist architecture style building situated in the Old Town of Stockholm, Sweden. History Designed by the architect Jean de la Vallée (ca 1620–1696) for Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna (1583 – 1654) and began ...

, Stockholm *

, Stockholm (1641-1674) *

Hässelby Castle Hässelby is a Swedish town that is a part of Hässelby-Vällingby in the city of Stockholm, Sweden, comprising the suburban areas Hässelby Gård, Hässelby Strand and Hässelby Villastad. The territory also corresponds to Hässelby parish ...

Uppland Uppland () is a historical province or ' on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. On the small uninhab ...

(1640s) * Tidö Castle in

Västmanland Västmanland ( or ), is a historical Swedish province, or ''landskap'', in middle Sweden. It borders Södermanland, Närke, Värmland, Dalarna and Uppland. Västmanland means "(The) Land of the Western Men", where the "western men" (''västerm ...

* Part of

Rosersberg Palace Rosersberg Palace ( sv, Rosersbergs slott) is one of the Royal Palaces of Sweden. Situated on the shores of Lake Mälaren, on the outskirts of Stockholm, it was built in the 1630s by the Oxenstierna family and became a royal palace in 1762, when ...

, Uppland * Renaissance additions to

Örbyhus Castle Örbyhus Castle (Swedish: ''Örbyhus slott'') is a castle in Tierp Municipality, Sweden. It lies some 12 kilometres east of European route E4, approximately halfway between Uppsala and Gävle. Known since the 14th century, the estate was turned ...

, Uppland File:Ryningska palatset.Munktorget.jpg, Ryning Palace, Stockholm File:Hedvig Eleonora kyrka västvy.jpg, Hedvig Eleonora Church, Stockholm File:Tidö slott, Västmanland.jpg, Tidö Castle, Västmanland File:Oxenstiernas platset stockholm.jpg, Oxenstierna Palace, Stockholm File:Örbyhus slott 1.jpg, Örbyhus Castle, Uppland

References

Sources

* Louis Dussieux ''Les artistes français à lʹétranger: recherches sur leurs travaux'', 1856, p. 447. * Tord Öson Nordberg, ''Marin de la Vallée'', in: ''Konsthistorisk Tidskrift, Stockholm, volume 27, Nos 1-4, 1958. * Tord Öson Nordberg, ''De la Vallée: en arkitektfamilj i Frankrike, Holland och Sverige'', Stockholm, Almqvist & Wiksell, 1970. * Linnéa Rollenhagen Tilly, "De maître maçon à architecte: Simon et Jean de la Vallée en Suède " i Olga Medvedkova (dir.) Les Européens : ces architectes qui ont conçu l’Europe (1450-1950), Paris 2017, p. 107-127. {{DEFAULTSORT:Vallee, Simon de la 1590 births 1642 deaths Swedish architects 17th-century French architects Huguenots Emigrants from France to the Swedish Empire