Sverresborg

Sverresborg
Trondheim, Norway
View of the former castle hill today
Site information
Controlled by	Norway
Site history
Built	1182-1183
In use	1183-1263
Materials	stone

Sverresborg (Norwegian:Sverresborg i Trondheim) or Sverre Sigurdsson's castle (also named Zion after King David’s castle in Jerusalem) was a fortification built in the medieval city of Nidaros (later Trondheim) by Sverre Sigurdsson. It is now known as an open-air museum for the region of Trøndelag, comprising the counties of Sør-Trøndelag and Nord-Trøndelag.

Defense of the city and the location of Sverresborg was based on three key topographical features:

In 1177, Sverre Sigurdsson, who was king of Norway from 1184-1202, led the rebel Birkebeiners to Trøndelag where in June, Sverre was hailed as king at Øretinget, the Thing (assembly) for Trøndelag. This was an important symbolic event, since traditionally new Norwegian kings were chosen there. After this, the Birkebeins moved south and wintered in Østerdalen. The next spring, the Birkebeins went back to Trøndelag, attacking the city of Nidaros (now Trondheim). Defeated, they fled south until they met and beat reigning King Magnus’ army in Ringerike. Encouraged, the Birkebeins moved north to Trøndelag again and remained in Nidaros during the winter of 1178.

In the spring of 1179, Magnus arrived with his army. The two armies met on June 19th in the (Slaget på Kalvskinnet) and the battle was a clear victory for Sverre, securing his grip on Trøndelag.

Magnus Erlingsson again attacked Trøndelag in spring 1180. Sverre held Trøndelag from Nidaros, which was then protected by a wooden palisades extending from the river to the fjord across the neck of the peninsula connecting the town to the mainland. In the (Slaget på Ilevollene), just outside Nidaros, the Heklungs were again defeated.