Vadstena Castle ( sv, Vadstena slott) is a former Royal Castle in

Vadstena Vadstena () is a locality and the seat of Vadstena Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden, with 5,613 inhabitants in 2010. From 1974 to 1979 Vadstena was administered as part of Motala Municipality. Despite its small population, Vadstena ...

, the province of Östergötland, Sweden.

History

Vadstena Castle was originally built by King Gustav I in 1545 as a fortress to protect Stockholm from enemies approaching from the south. The fortress consisted of three smaller stone buildings facing

Lake Vättern A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

, three 31-meter wide ramparts, a

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary ...

, a moat and four circular cannon turrets. The original ramparts were torn down in the 19th century and the present ramparts were inaugurated in 1999. The stone buildings later formed the ground floor of the castle. On August 22, 1552, King Gustav I married his third wife,

Catherine Stenbock Catherine Stenbock (Swedish: ''Katarina Gustavsdotter Stenbock''; 22 July 1535 at Torpa, Tranemo Municipality, Västergötland – 13 December 1621 at Strömsholm, Västmanland) was Queen of Sweden from 1552 to 1560 as the third and last wife of ...

, in Vadstena. One of the castle banqueting halls is called The Wedding Hall ( sv, Bröllopssalen), although its construction wasn't finished in time for the wedding. The reconstruction from fortress into a habitable castle began in the 1550s, when prince Magnus became

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

of Östergötland. Duke Magnus suffered from mental illness and was the only son of Gustav I who didn't eventually become king of Sweden. Magnus died in 1595 and is buried in the church of nearby

Vadstena Abbey The Abbey Pax Mariae ( la, Monasterium sanctarum Mariæ Virgìnis et Brigidæ in Vatzstena), more commonly referred to as Vadstena Abbey, situated on Lake Vättern in the Diocese of Linköping, Sweden, was the motherhouse of the Bridgettine Ord ...

. By 1620, when the castle was completed, all the kings of the House of Vasa had contributed to its construction. Since 1620, the castle has been very well preserved, and is one of Sweden's best examples of

Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...

. Vadstena Castle was a royal palace until 1716, when the royal family lost interest in it; after which it became a storage barn for grain.

Today

Since 1899, the castle has housed the Provincial Archives and today visitors can also find a Castle Museum with 16th and 17th century furniture, portraits and paintings. The castle is also the seat of the International Vadstena Academy, Sweden's smallest opera house, commissioning new operas and reviving lost operas from archival scores.Vadstena Akademien
During summers the courtyard plays host to many concerts; both classical and pop music. File:Vadstena slott mittornet.JPG, The chapel is situated in the main tower. File:Vadstena slott.jpg, Winter view from north-east. File:Vadstena_Castle.JPG, Summer view from south-west. File:Vadstena slott, östra sidan, juni 2005.jpg, Circular turrets by the moat. File:Vadstena slott källaren kanon.JPG, The basement with a 17th-century cannon. File:Vadstena castle main gate.jpg, Main gate File:Vadstena castle gate.jpg, Bridge leading to the main gate File:Vadstena castle tower.jpg, Tower File:Vadstena castle detail.jpg, Suspension bridge File:Vadstena castle wall.jpg, Gun on the fortress wall

External links

Official visitor site (Swedish)The castle at the Nationalmuseum website

Notes

{{Coord, 58, 26, 45, N, 14, 53, 01, E, region:SE-E_type:landmark_source:dewiki, display=title Listed buildings in Sweden Östergötland Castles in Östergötland County Museums in Östergötland County Historic house museums in Sweden Royal residences in Sweden