Läckö Castle

The castle of Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie

In Läckö's long history it is general and privy councillor Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie who has most left his mark on both the interior and exterior of the castle. He inherited the castle and the earldom in 1652 from his father field marshal Jacob De la Gardie. In 1681 the castle was returned to the crown in the restitution of alienated crown property under Karl XI.

Empty Baroque castle refurnished

The majority of the contents were sold off immediately before and after Magnus Gabriel's death in 1686. Some of the furniture was sold at auction in Örebro, other items were sold by his widow Maria Eufrosyne to pay off debts. Since 1998 the National Property Board, the Foundation of Läckö Castle and the National Museum of Fine Arts have been working together to furnish the empty castle in the style of a gentleman's residence during the Baroque period. The castle is well worth a visit for its ceiling and wall frescoes alone.

Bishop's castle as early as 1298

When bishop Brynolf Algotsson had Läckö built in 1298 in the centre of his Skara diocese, its location on Lake Vänern was the result of careful consideration. Läckö is easily reached by boat and there was a protected harbour nearby in what is now Kungshamn. Its location on a promontory made it easy to defend. The fortified house suffered a fire in 1470. Shortly afterwards it was replaced by a larger building by bishop Brynolf Gerlachsson.

Crown ownership and the De la Gardie era

After the reformation in 1527 Läckö was taken over by the crown. During the sixteenth century Läckö was a royal fortress and considered to be one of Sweden's most secure strongholds. It was granted to various important figures for a temporary period. In 1615 Läckö was granted to field marshal Jacob De la Gardie. An earldom with a large area of land on the southern shore of Lake Vänern was established with Läckö as its centre. The earldom was inherited in 1652 by Jacob De la Gardie's son Magnus Gabriel, one of the most powerful and richest men in Sweden, receiving taxes from over 1,000 farms in Sweden and Sweden's Baltic possessions. Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie headed the regency after the death of Karl X Gustav in 1660 and was also one of Sweden's keenest builders, as can clearly be seen at Läckö. During his ownership the gatehouse gained new rooms and servants' quarters, and the kitchen wing was added. The castle chapel was also built at this time. A fourth floor was built in the main building and a number of artists were hired to decorate the walls and ceilings of the castle.

Returned to the crown under Karl XI, 1681

In 1681 the castle reverted to the crown. Not all the plans were completed, with the result that much still remains from the Medieval period. In the following 150 years the castle was granted or rented out to private individuals, including Claes Ekeblad of Stola, Carl Gustaf Tessin and General Carl Adolf Adlercreutz. In 1815 the castle building returned to the crown while the rest of the estate was rented to the Rudenschiöld family between 1845 and 1914.

Newly awakened interest in Läckö

At the end of the nineteenth century interest in history led to attention being focused on Läckö, which had retained a great deal of its Medieval character. Fortunately, the castle escaped unsympathetic restoration, a fate often suffered by other ancient buildings to reinforce their Medieval feel.

1964 marked the start of a new epoch, with exhibitions and tourism. The castle garden has been restored and developed in the spirit of the gardens of the past. There is a guest harbour for private boats in Kungshamn. The royal manor farm is leased out.

Läckö Castle is a national monument and has been managed by the National Property Board since 1993.

In brief

• Built: late fifteenth century, mid-seventeenth century
• For: bishop Brynolf Gerlachsson (1400s), Jacob and Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie
• Architects (De la Gardie era): German architects Matthias Holl (assisted by Frans Steimer) and Olof Franck
• Tenants: The Foundation of Läckö Castle
• Address: Kållandsö, Lidköping
• Manager: Gunilla Bernspång, SFV National Property Board Sweden, tel +46 505 45 13 74, e-post gunilla.bernspang@sfv.se