Kongsgård (Swedish:''Kungsgård'') is a residence, estate, or farmland that has belonged or still belongs to the

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

n monarchs or royal families.

History

During the

Viking Age The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Germ ...

and early Middle Ages, the nations of Scandinavia were organized as frail political unions, a system which often led to conflicts and internal turmoil. To remain in control, the Scandinavian kings would frequently travel throughout their kingdoms to keep oversight. Kongsgård would then function as temporary residencies for the kings and were often fortified and gradually developed into larger main estates. Throughout the late Middle Ages, many royal estates were re-enforced with castles. Over time, the kings were able to unify their countries and consolidate their power, ruling instead from a single seat or capital.

Norwegian Kongsgård estates

The first

King of Norway The Norwegian monarch is the head of state of Norway, which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. The Norwegian monarchy can trace its line back to the reign of Harald Fairhair and the previous petty kingd ...

, King

Harald Fairhair Harald Fairhair no, Harald hårfagre Modern Icelandic: ( – ) was a Norwegian king. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, he reigned from 872 to 930 and was the first King of Nor ...

, ordered his

earls Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form '' jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particula ...

and their

hersir A Hersir was a local Viking military commander of a ''hundred'' (a county subdivision) of about 100 men and owed allegiance to a jarl or king. They were also aspiring landowners, and, like the middle class in many feudal societies, supported the k ...

to construct estates and farms along the Norwegian coast that would belong to the king and the

hird The hird (also named "Håndgangne Menn" in Norwegian), in Scandinavian history, was originally an informal retinue of personal armed companions, hirdmen or housecarls, but came to mean not only the nucleus ('Guards') of the royal army, but also ...

. King Harald would establish the significant Kongsgård estate Alrekstad in

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula o ...

which functioned as his seat of power. In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, King Eystein I of Norway would relocated Alrekstad estate in Bergen, building a new fortified palace where Bergenhus fortress is presently located. Other Kongsgård estates includes: *

Oslo Kongsgård estate The Oslo Kongsgård estate (Norwegian language, Norwegian: ''Oslo kongsgård'') was a royal residence and fortified Kongsgård estate located in the Oslo, Norway. The ruins of the former estate and its buildings can today been seen in Middelalde ...

Avaldsnes Kongsgård estate The Avaldsnes Kongsgård estate (Norwegian: ''Avaldsnes kongsgård'') was a king's estate (''Kongsgård'') which is believed to be the oldest royal residence and seat of power in Norwegian history. The estate was located in the present day villa ...

* Kongsgård estate at

Fitjar Fitjar () is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The municipality is located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland. Fitjar municipality includes the northern part of the island of Stord and the hundreds of surrounding islands, most ...

* Kongsgård estate at

Seim, Hordaland Seim is a village in Alver municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located at the innermost part of the Lurefjorden, about north of the village of Knarvik and about southeast of the island of Lygra. The village is home to ...

Værne Kloster Værne Kloster is a manor and former abbey in the municipality of Rygge in Østfold, Norway. Today only ruins of the monastery remain. Originally a Kongsgård estate, King Sverre of Norway established a Knights Hospitaller abbey at Værne around ...

* Utstein Abbey

Danish Kongsgård estates

* Corselitze * Børglum Abbey

Swedish Kongsgård estates

Husby (estate) {{Other uses, Husby (disambiguation){{!Husby Husby is the name of many present-day Swedish (and other Scandinavian) farms and villages. Originally, they formed a network of royal estates, called Uppsala öd, that were the property of the Swedish k ...

Karlberg Palace Karlberg Palace () is a palace by the Karlberg Canal in Solna Municipality in Sweden, adjacent to Stockholm's Vasastaden district. The palace, built in 1630,Solna: Huvudsta today houses the Military Academy Karlberg. In the palace park are fou ...

Kaknäs Kaknäs is a former village in Medieval times located in Stockholm, Sweden, as part of the Ladugårdsgärdet area. It is the site of several archeological finds and has given its name to Kaknästornet. During the 1912 Summer Olympics, it hosted ...

Uppsala öd Uppsala öd, Old Norse: ''Uppsala auðr'' or ''Uppsala øðr'' (''Uppsala domains'' or ''wealth of Uppsala'') was the name given to the collection of estates which was the property of the Swedish Crown in medieval Sweden.The article ''Uppsala öd'' ...

Faroese Kongsgård estates

Kirkjubøargarður Kirkjubøargarður ( Faroese for ''Yard of Kirkjubøur'', also known as ''King's Farm'') is one of the oldest still inhabited wooden houses in the world, if not the oldest. The farm itself has always been the largest in the Faroe Islands. The ol ...

Kirkjubøur Kirkjubøur ( da, Kirkebø) is the southernmost village on Streymoy, Faroe Islands. The village is located on the south-west coast of Streymoy and has a view towards the islands of Hestur and Koltur towards the west, and to Sandoy towards the sout ...

References