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| Copenhagen Castle | |
|---|---|
 Copenhagen Castle painted in 1698 by unknown artist | |
 Interactive map of Copenhagen Castle | |
| General information | |
| Location | Copenhagen,Denmark |
| Construction started | Late 14th century |
| Demolished | 1731 |
Copenhagen Castle (Danish:Københavns Slot) was acastle on the islet ofSlotsholmen in centralCopenhagen,Denmark. It was built in the late 14th century and was located at the site of the currentChristiansborg Palace.[1]
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In 1167, BishopAbsalon (c. 1128–1201) founded a fortress on the islet ofSlotsholmen in the harbour of Copenhagen. It consisted of a courtyard with several buildings and surrounded by a wall for protection. During the years after the demolition ofBishop Absalon's Castle by theHansa League in 1369, the ruins on the island were covered with earthworks, on which the new stronghold, Copenhagen Castle, was built. In 1343 KingValdemar Atterdag took over Absalon's castle, but upon his death in 1375 the right to the property returned to theDiocese of Roskilde.[2][1][3][4]
The castle had a curtain wall and was surrounded by a moat which had an inner diameter of about 50 meters and with a large, solid tower as an entrance gate. The castle was still the property of theBishop of Roskilde until KingEric of Pomerania usurped the rights to the castle in 1417. TheHanseatic League attacked the castle and in theBombardment of Copenhagen during theDano-Hanseatic War (1426–1435). The attack was fought back by in 1428 byQueen Philippa, who led the defence from Copenhagen Castle.[5]
From the middle of the 15th century, the castle served as the Danish monarch's main residence and centre of government.The castle was expanded and rebuilt several times. KingChristian IV, added a spire to the large entrance tower, which under the name of theBlue Tower gained a reputation as a prison.[6] In 1556 anorgan was built for the castle's chapel byHermann Rodensteen; one of the major organ builders of the 16th century.[7] In the 1720s, KingFrederik IV entirely rebuilt the castle, but it became so heavy that the walls began to give way and to crack. It became therefore evident to KingChristian VI, Frederik IV's successor, immediately after his accession to the throne in 1730, that an entirely new castle had to be built. The demolition of the overextended and antiquated Copenhagen Castle was commenced in 1731 to make room for thefirst Christiansborg Palace.[6][8]
55°40′38″N12°34′48″E / 55.67722°N 12.58000°E /55.67722; 12.58000
