The Story of Sweden’s Läckö Castle
A grandiose castle in a stunning natural setting, Läckö Slott is an ode to the ambitions of a young Swedish count, his fall from grace and the centuries of obscurity that both condemned and redeemed his palace.
Photography by Callicles
This article was published in May 2019 in Mastermind 06. Purchase all issues here.
On a peninsula in southwestern Sweden stands Läckö Slott, a majestic palace with creamy white walls, round towers and turrets. With its grand Baroque-style architecture, the building is perhaps not what one would associate with Sweden nowadays — a country known for its minimalist and functional design. But Läckö Castle, steeped in rich history and surrounded by natural beauty, reflects the Swedish people’s distinctly modern ability to absorb what’s happening in the wider world and create something uniquely their own.
The castle overlooks the waters of Vänern, the third-largest lake in Europe, and is surrounded by forest. Since its early days, this pristine location has been essential to Läckö Slott’s appeal. In 1298, when archbishop Brynolf Algotsson built the foundational fortress, the lake was used for transportation and provided a natural barrier against intruders. The castle served as a refuge for bishops from Skara until the Reformation in 1527, when King Gustav I Vasa seized it.
Traces from the Middle Ages remain, but the castle owes its appearance largely to Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie. Around 1652, when he was 30, De la Gardie inherited the castle from his father, Jacob, a highly ranked military officer.
The new owner immediately started an immense construction project, adding new rooms, a kitchen wing, a chapel and a fourth floor. From 1662 to 1678, the number of employees at the castle swelled from 84 to 222. De la Gardie decked the walls in expensive wallpapers, had the ceilings painted with elaborate artworks and filled a treasury with silver cutlery, dishes, ornaments and other objects. The Italian diplomat Lorenzo Magalotti, who visited Sweden in 1674, said De la Gardie was responsible for bringing luxury to Sweden.
According to the Swedish historian Georg Wittrock, contemporaries described De la Gardie as charming and well spoken – and a social genius. He knew how to mingle with authorities and soon became one of Queen Kristina’s favorites at the Swedish Royal Court. This was during the Age of Greatness, when the Swedish Empire was a mighty European military power, exercising territorial control over a region much larger than today. De la Gardie was not the best soldier, nor a great statesman, but he showed skill in other areas. During his time abroad – particularly in France, where he studied and later worked as an ambassador – De la Gardie became inspired by his host country’s music, literature, art and architecture, and brought these influences back home. In a sense, he was a harbinger of modern Sweden: today, the country is renowned for its trend sensitivity, and its “soft power” – its influence on global film, music, literature, design and technological industries – is strong.
De la Gardie owned more than 1,000 castles and mansions, but there are indications that Läckö Castle meant something special to him. He was the Count of Läckö, and he devoted disproportionate attention to the castle there. Unfortunately for De la Gardie, he fell into disfavor with the Royal Court for many reasons, including financial problems, and his success waned. By 1681, he had lost all power, and King Charles XI seized the castle.
For the next 200 years, the castle had a somewhat sleepy life, says its current chief executive, Magnus Lönnroth, and it is rarely mentioned in historical records. “During the 19th century, Sweden was a poor country,” says Lönnroth. It suffered from starvation, poverty and disease. “There was no use for this huge building,” he says. “The castle was considered too outdated to serve as a residence.” In some ways, this perception of the castle as outmoded and unusable had its benefits. “What makes Läckö Castle so special is the fact that everything is so untouched and well preserved,” Lönnroth says. “Most of the internal and external environments look exactly as they did during the days of De la Gardie.”
The country’s recovery at the end of the 19th century coincided with a worldwide revival of interest in medieval art and architecture, and Läckö Slott suddenly found itself the subject of renewed appreciation. In 1993, the National Property Board of Sweden took control of the palace and declared it a national monument, owing to its important symbolic value. In 2001, the Swedish people voted it “Sweden’s most beautiful castle.” But there are many reasons to visit the palace beyond its beauty. Every year, Läckö Castle hosts exhibitions about its history and that of Sweden. In the summer of 2019, it hosted a show about Swedish glass art. Lönnroth’s vision for the castle is that it continue to inspire and educate people about Sweden’s past, now and into the future.