Vallø Castle
Encyclopedia
Vallø Castle is a manor house
located 7 km south of Køge
, in Stevns Municipality, on the island of Zealand in Denmark
. It now serves as a residence for unmarried, widowed and divorced women of noble decent.
In 1708 Vallø was acquired by King Frederick IV
who passed it on to Anne Sophie Reventlow
. In 1731 King Christian VI
passed the property on to Queen Sophia Magdalene who in 1737 founded the Noble Vallø Foundation for Unmarried Daughters (da. Det Adelige Stift Vallø for ugifte døtre).
Vallø consists of four wings with robust towers and is surrounded by a moat. The south wing, with its robust corner towers, and the south end of the west wing were built from 1580 to 1586 by Mette Rosenkrantz, one of the richest women in Denmark of her day. In Christen Skeel's time of ownership, from 1638 to 1659, the castle was expanded to three storeys and the west wing extended. The north wing was built by Johan Cornelius Krieger
in 1721.
A three-winged building designed by Lauritz de Thurah
was built in the courtyard from 1735 to 1738. The surviving central wing expanded with an extra storey by Georg David Anthon
in 1765.
The castle was devastated by fire in 1893 but restored largely to its old design by Hans Jørgen Holm
between 1893 and 1904.
Next to castle and its park there is a cluster of historic houses arranged around a street known as Vallø Castle Street (da. Vallø Slotsgade). Vallø Castle Inn received a royal privilege in 1784. The estate also owns a variety of other houses spread out across the surrounding countryside.
The castle still provides housing for women of the Danish nobility but since 1976 admission to the residences is not restricted to unmarried women but now also cover widows and divorced women.
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
located 7 km south of Køge
Køge
Køge Municipality is a municipality in Region Sjælland on the east coast of the island of Zealand approx. 40 km. southwest of Copenhagen. The municipality covers an area of 255 km² , and has a total population of 56,637...
, in Stevns Municipality, on the island of Zealand in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. It now serves as a residence for unmarried, widowed and divorced women of noble decent.
History
Vallø traces its history back to the 14th century. From 1554 to 1651 it was divided into two separate estates, West Vallø and East Vallø.In 1708 Vallø was acquired by King Frederick IV
Frederick IV of Denmark
Frederick IV was the king of Denmark and Norway from 1699 until his death. Frederick was the son of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway and Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel .-Foreign affairs:...
who passed it on to Anne Sophie Reventlow
Anne Sophie Reventlow
Anne Sophie Reventlow was a Danish noble, royal mistress, spouse by bigamy and, later, queen consort of Denmark and Norway 1721–30, the second spouse of king Frederick IV of Denmark and Norway....
. In 1731 King Christian VI
Christian VI of Denmark
Christian VI was King of Denmark and Norway from 1730 to 1746.He was the son of King Frederick IV of Denmark and Norway and Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. He married Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and fathered Frederick V.-The reign and personality of Christian VI:To posterity Christian...
passed the property on to Queen Sophia Magdalene who in 1737 founded the Noble Vallø Foundation for Unmarried Daughters (da. Det Adelige Stift Vallø for ugifte døtre).
Building
Johan Cornelius Krieger
Johan Cornelius Krieger was a Danish architect and landscape architect, who from the 1720s served as both the country's chief architect, and head of the royal gardens....
in 1721.
A three-winged building designed by Lauritz de Thurah
Lauritz de Thurah
Laurids Lauridsen de Thurah, known as Lauritz de Thurah , was a Danish architect and architectural writer. He became the most important Danish architect of the late baroque period...
was built in the courtyard from 1735 to 1738. The surviving central wing expanded with an extra storey by Georg David Anthon
Georg David Anthon
-External links:*...
in 1765.
The castle was devastated by fire in 1893 but restored largely to its old design by Hans Jørgen Holm
Hans Jørgen Holm
Hans Jørgen Holm was a Danish architect. A pupil of Johan Daniel Herholdt, he became a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and a leading Danish proponent of the National Romantic style.-Biography:...
between 1893 and 1904.
Park and surroundings
The park was turned into a Romantic landscape garden in 1830 but retains elements from the former French gardens from the 1720s. I large flower park was founded in 1960 but it has later been disbanded.Next to castle and its park there is a cluster of historic houses arranged around a street known as Vallø Castle Street (da. Vallø Slotsgade). Vallø Castle Inn received a royal privilege in 1784. The estate also owns a variety of other houses spread out across the surrounding countryside.
Vallø today
The estate is still owned by the Vallø Foundation (da. Vallø Stift) and covers 4,109 hectares of land of which 1,860 hectares are woodlands. Apart from agriculture and forestry, the revenues derive from house rental, the inn, a campground located close to Køge, and hiring-out of hunting areas,The castle still provides housing for women of the Danish nobility but since 1976 admission to the residences is not restricted to unmarried women but now also cover widows and divorced women.