Stjärnorp Castle (old spelling: Stiernorp or Stiernarp) is situated north of lake Roxen just north of

Linköping Linköping () is a city in southern Sweden, with around 105,000 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality and the capital of Östergötland County. Linköping is also the episcopal see of the Diocese of Linköping (Church ...

, in the southern province of Östergötland, Sweden. It was built by the

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals * Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civi ...

Family, with a view over Lake Roxen.

History

The castle was built in 1655-1662 by Field Marshal

Robert Douglas, Count of Skenninge Robert Douglas (17 March 1611 – 28 May 1662), Count of Skenninge, Baron of Skalby, was a Scottish cavalry general during the Thirty Years' War rising to the rank of Field Marshal (1657–1662) in the Swedish-Polish wars that followed. He ...

(1611–1662). The castle and

terrace Terrace may refer to: Landforms and construction * Fluvial terrace, a natural, flat surface that borders and lies above the floodplain of a stream or river * Terrace, a street suffix * Terrace, the portion of a lot between the public sidewalk an ...

s were designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder. According to one legend, a story relates that during the war, comrades and brothers in arms Robert Douglas and Axel Lillie came home from the Peace of

Westphalia Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants. The territory of the regio ...

, and they had made an agreement to build their own castles, Stjärnorp Castle and Löfstad Castle, so high that from the top floor, they could see and send greeting messages to each other. Carl Fredric Broocman, writing in the mid-18th century on "Stiernarp": : "This manor farm is well located beside Lake Roxen, 5 eighths of a mile from the church, and has a sizeable stone building of four stories, with a tower on the western side and a terrace on the roof, as it seems imitating the King's adviser, Count Er. Dahlbergs Svec. Ant. & Hod. There are 2 wings of 2 storeys besides, and a room in the southern building with altar, pulpit, organ and gallery furnished as a chapel, and in the middle of the roof is a handsome tower with a clock. In this so wonderfully arranged chapel the peasants, farmers and crofters of the woodland districts furthest from the parish church have, with the proper consent of the gentry and clergy, freedom to hold their regular worship every Sunday and holy day throughout the year. The good-sized building just named was erected by Count Robert Douglas about 1654, and Major General and Knight, Count Wilhelm Douglas is now the owner thereof." All the Stjärnorp buildings were destroyed during a fire on May 12, 1789, but the chapel was restored in the same year. Although the wings were built up again within a few years after the fire, the funds were lacking for the repair of the main building, which is still in ruins. When Stjärnorp parish was formed in 1810, the castle chapel became the parish church chapel.

References

* ''This article incorporates information from the Swedish Wikipedia''. Castles in Östergötland County {{Sweden-castle-stub