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 village of

Avaldsnes Avaldsnes is a village in Karmøy municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The village is located on the northeastern part of the island of Karmøy (island), Karmøy, along the Karmsundet strait, just south of the town of Haugesund (town), Hauge ...

in the county of

Rogaland Rogaland () is a Counties of Norway, county in Western Norway, bordering the North Sea to the west and the counties of Vestland to the north, Telemark to the east and Agder to the east and southeast. As of 1 January 2024, it had a population of 49 ...

History

Viking age

The estate was established by King Harald Fairhair, the first king of a united Norway, shortly after the

Battle of Hafrsfjord The Battle of Hafrsfjord () was a naval battle fought in Hafrsfjord sometime between 872 and 900 that resulted in the unification of Norway, later known as the Kingdom of Norway (872–1397), Kingdom of Norway. After the battle, the victorious Vi ...

in the year 872. Avaldsnes was one of the five similar estates the king built along the Norwegian west coast. The location of the estate was likely chosen because of its strategic position in the Karmsund strait and proximity to the trading post Notow, which proved useful for trade with the

British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...

and other European merchants.

Middle ages

Over time, the estate became a significant bastion for the Birkebeiner party during the Norwegian civil war era. The Birkebeiner leader, Håkon Håkonsson, ruled most of

Western Norway Western Norway (; ) is the Regions of Norway, region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. It consists of the Counties of Norway, counties Rogaland, Vestland, and Møre og Romsdal. The region has no official or political-administrative fu ...

from the estate and would also build St. Olav's Church at Avaldsnes, raising the church on the foundations of an original church that had been built by Olav Tryggvason. The fortified, castle-like estate residence, with a

great hall A great hall is the main room of a royal palace, castle or a large manor house or hall house in the Middle Ages. It continued to be built in the country houses of the 16th and early 17th centuries, although by then the family used the great cha ...

, secret passages, residential chambers and a tall watchtower, was likely built some time during the 12th century and is mentioned in letters written by kings Eirik II Magnusson and Håkon V Magnusson. In the year 1367, Haakon VI of Norway came into conflict with the powerful

Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Growing from a few Northern Germany, North German towns in the ...

, which eventually led to the destruction of the fortified estate when members of the league burned the castle to the ground.

Recent archeological discovery

While it was well known for a long time that

had played a significant role in the Norwegian

Viking age The Viking Age (about ) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonising, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. The Viking Age applies not only to their ...

and

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

, the size, extent and appearance of the fortified estate at Avaldsnes was relatively unknown until archeological excavations dere made during the summer of 2017. The estate is now believed to be one of five similar Norwegian Kongsgård estates built in stone—the other estates being located in

Tønsberg Tønsberg (), historically Tunsberg, is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city in Tønsberg Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located about south-southwest of the capital city of Oslo on the western coast of the Oslofjord near ...

Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; ), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros, and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2022, it had a population of 212,660. Trondheim is the third most populous municipality in Norway, and is ...

Bergen Bergen (, ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo. By May 20 ...

and

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

References

External links

Opplev Avaldsnes website

Avaldsnes Norway's Oldest Royal Seat
{{DEFAULTSORT:Avaldsnes Kongsgård estate Royal residences in Norway Medieval history of Norway Archaeological sites in Norway History of Rogaland Castles in Norway Palaces in Norway Harald Fairhair