Edsberg Castle

Story

Edsberg Castle is a castle in Sweden located by the bay of Edsviken in Sollentuna Municipality, north of Stockholm.Wooden ConstructionThe building was constructed around 1630 as an estate for Henrik Olofsson. It was very soon after completion signed over to count Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna who changed it into a manor in 1647.Queen Christina of Sweden visited and stayed in the house in 1645. In 1670, when the manor had been inherited by the son Gabriel Gabrielsson Oxenstierna, King Charles XI of Sweden and the Queen Dowager Hedvig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp came for a visit.Stone ConstructionThe manor later belonged to the Rudbeck family, the first of which was the Over-Governor of Stockholm, Thure Gustaf Rudbeck. In 1760 he replaced the old wooden construction with the stone building still in standing and in use today. The main building was most likely designed by architect Carl Wijnblad in simplified French rococo style and had two floors, plastered façade and two wings.Malla Silfverstolpe, 1782-1861, grew up in the castle. Her diary gives a vivid and fascinating account of life at Edsberg during this time.The Rudbecks were owners of the castle for about 200 years, upon which the county of Sollentuna assumed ownership in 1959. It has since then been used for higher musical education.Music at EdsbergThe castle has undergone extensive renovation and housed Sveriges Radios Musikskola . It now houses Edsbergs Musikinstitut; the independent chamber music division of the Royal College of Music, Stockholm. An art gallery, Edsvik Konsthall, is located on the castle's premises.