- Type
- Castle
- Origins
- 12th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Style
- Renaissance architecture
- Coordinates
- 56.6581°, 16.3553°
History
A defensive tower was built on an islet at Kalmar in the late 12th century, and in the 1280s King Magnus Birgersson enclosed it with towered walls, creating one of Sweden's most important fortresses. In 1397 the union joining Denmark, Norway and Sweden under Eric of Pomerania was concluded at Kalmar. Lying close to the Danish border, the castle was besieged many times. In the 16th century Gustav Vasa and then his sons Eric XIV and John III turned it into a splendid Renaissance residence. The Danes captured it in 1611 during the Kalmar War, and after the border moved in 1658 it lost its military importance and fell into neglect. It was restored in the 19th and 20th centuries.
What to see
The castle is surrounded by a moat and bastioned ramparts, and its walls show both medieval towers and Renaissance gables. The 16th-century interiors keep their coffered ceilings, paintings and decoration, most strikingly in Eric XIV's chamber with its inlaid panelling. Visitors can also see the chapel, the kitchens and the dungeons, and exhibitions and historical re-enactments are held in season.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q648226
Popularity: articles about this site in 33 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).