Page 55 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Stockholm

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years later for the coronation of It also has some rare relics of
King Adolf Fredrik and was the original Tre Kronor fortress:
designed by Jean Eric Rehn. new benches that had been
The decor of the Hall of ordered by Tessin. They had
State is lavish. Colossal been rescued during the palace
sculptures of Karl XIV Johan fire in 1697 and preserved but
and Gustav II Adolf flank the not put in the chapel until the
throne, while those on the 19th century. The benches
cornice symbolize Peace, were made by Georg Haupt,
Strength, Religion and Justice. grandfather of the cabinet-
Until 1975 the Hall of State maker of the same name who
was the scene of the ceremo nial was to create some of the Erik XIV’s crown, made by Cornelis
opening of the Swedish palace’s most prized furnishings. ver Weiden in Stockholm in 1561
Parliament (Riksdagen), which
included a march past of the uncrowned King Carl XVI Gustaf.
royal bodyguard in full regalia. Gustav III’s Museum The 1-m (3-ft) high silver
of Antiquities
It is now used more for other baptismal font, which took the
official occasions and, like the Opened in 1794 in memory French silversmith Jean François
Royal Chapel, is a venue for of the murdered king, the Cousinet 11 years to make, is
summer concerts (see pp176–7). Museum of Antiquities 200 years old and is still used for
initially housed more than royal baptisms. Hanging in the
200 exhibits, mainly acquired Treasury is the only undamaged
during Gustav’s Italian journey tapestry among six dating from
in 1783–4 and then sup- the 1560s, salvaged from the
plemented with more 1697 fire.
purchases later.
In 1866 the museum’s
collection was moved to the Tre Kronor Museum
city’s National Museum (see In the oldest parts of the ruined
pp84–5). During the 1950s the Tre Kronor fortress, preserved
main gallery was renovated, under the north side of the royal
followed by the smaller galleries palace, is the Tre Kronor (Three
30 years later, which enabled Crowns) Museum. About half
the collection to be returned of a mas sive 12th-century
to its original setting. defensive wall and brick
The most prized exhibits are vaults from the 16th and 17th
in the main gallery, the best centuries provide a unique
known being the sculpture setting for the museum, which
The Hall of State, the most impor tant of Endymion, the eternally illustrates the palace’s history
ceremonial room in the palace sleeping young shepherd and of almost 1,000 years.
lover of the Moon Goddess Two models of the Tre Kronor
Selene. The 18th-century fortress show changes made to
The Royal Chapel sculptor Johan Tobias Sergel is the fortress during the second
It took 50 years to build the represented by The Priestess, half of the 17th century and
Royal Palace, and a lot of effort ranked as the collection’s how it looked by the time of the
went into the French Rococo second most important piece. fire. Among items rescued from
interior decoration of the Royal She is flanked by two large the ashes are a schnapps glass,
Chapel. The work was carried candelabras. amber pots and bowls made
out largely by Carl Hårleman from mountain crystal.
under the supervision of The Treasury
Nicodemus Tessin the Younger.
As with the Hall of State, the co- Situated at the bottom of 56
operation be tween the two well-worn steps, below the Hall
produced a magnificent result, of State on the south side of the
enhanced by the contributions palace, is the entrance to the
of several foreign artists. The Treasury (Skattkammaren),
chapel was completed when where the State regalia, the
the palace reopened in 1754. most potent symbols of the
A number of remarkable monarchy, are kept.
artifacts have been added over On the rare occasions that
the centuries. The most recent King Erik XIV’s crown, sceptre,
was a group of six 17th-century- orb and the keys of the kingdom
style bronze crowns, as well as are taken out of their showcase, A glass bowl saved from the 1697 fire,
two crystal crowns. they are placed beside the displayed in the Tre Kronor Museum

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