Kastelholm Castle

Kastel Holm (Swedish: Kastel Holms slott, Finnish: Kastelholma ) is a medieval castle in Sund on the Finnish island of Åland Group. The castle-like palace was built on a small island that is filled by a moat surrounded with piles. Kastelholm is very significant for the history of Åland and is now a tourist attraction. Dating from the 14th century building is one of the oldest on the island. In a wing of the castle is the Museum of Cultural History of the Swedish-speaking Åland Islands.

History

The construction date of Kastelholm Castle is believed to the year 1384. Was first mentioned in documents Kastelholm 1388 in a contract to Queen Margaret I of Denmark. The castle represented a large part of their heritage, which she received from landowners Bo Jonsson Grip. Kastelholm Castle was a strategic defense point. A font of 1525 describes them as " key to Sweden ", which illustrates the major outpost in the defense of Stockholm.

The heyday of the castle was in the 15th and 16th centuries. King John III. held captive until autumn 1571 here his deposed brother Erik XIV. The castle was built in 1598 during the battles of King Charles IX. by Joachim Scheel destroyed during the civil war, in 1599 again. It was only in 1631 removed to the damage. 1745 burned the castle almost complete. The ruin was abandoned in the 1770s. Meanwhile, large parts of the castle are reconstructed.