Dragsholm Castle
| Dragsholm | |
|---|---|
.JPG) |
|
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Baroque |
| Town or city | Dragsholm, Odsherred, Zealand |
| Country | Denmark |
| Client |
Peder Sunesen (original) Frederik Christian Adeler (current building) |
Dragsholm Castle (Danish: Dragsholm Slot) is a historic building in Zealand, Denmark.
For about 800 years there has been a building on the islet by the “drag”. From the original palace over the medieval castle to the current baroque style, Dragsholm Castle has had an influence on and been influenced by changing times and the surrounding community. Today, Dragsholm Castle has restaurant and hotel facilities.
Prior to the damming of Lammefjord, Odsherred was connected to the rest of Zealand by a narrow stretch. A ”draugh” or ”drag” means a small stretch of land, which in this case connected Odsherred to the rest of Zealand. The stretch of land was located east of Dragsholm where the mill, Dragsmølle, lies today. In the Viking Age, “drag” meant that you could drag the ships across the land and thereby avoid the dangerous waters north of Zealand. The islet on which Dragsholm Castle was built is surrounded by lakes and meadows just south of the border moraine deposit, which ends at Vejrhøj (123 m) to the north. Consequently, Dragsholm means the islet by the ”drag”.
Dragsholm Slot is one of the oldest secular buildings in Denmark. The original Dragsholm Castle was built around 1215 by the Bishop of Roskilde. During the Middle Ages, the building was modified from the original palace to a fortified castle. During the Count's Feud (1534–36) (Grevens Fejde) it was so strong that it was the only castle on Zealand to withstand the armies of Count Christoffer.
In connection with the Reformation, Dragsholm was passed on to the Crown. As Crownland during the period from 1536 to 1664, Dragsholm Castle was used as a prison for noble and ecclesiastical prisoners. In the large tower at the northeast corner of the medieval castle, prison cells were made and equipped with toilets and windows depending on the prisoner’s crimes, behaviour and the seriousness of his insults towards the King.
Some of the best known prisoners at Dragsholm Castle include: the last Catholic Bishop in Roskilde and former owner of the castle, Joachim Rønnow; The 4th Earl of Bothwell, third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots; and the seemingly raving mad squire, Ejler Brockenhuus.
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Wikipedia