Description of the attraction
One of the important historical sights in Copenhagen is the Christiansborg Royal Palace, located on the island of Slotsholmen. The founder of the castle in 1167 was Bishop Absalon, who is also the founder of Copenhagen itself. In 1249, the castle was occupied and burned by the army of Lübeck, with which Denmark fought trade wars. Over time, the Copenhagen castle was restored, but in 1369 the army of the Hanseatic League burned it down again.
During the reign of Christian VI, the Christiansborg Palace in the Baroque style was built on the ruins. The construction was completed by 1745. In 1794 the castle burned down again. The second construction of Christiansborg began and the entire royal family moved to Amalienborg. The architect Hansen was invited to restore the castle and new construction began in the strict style of French classicism. In 1828 the construction of Christiansborg was completed. However, the family of Frederick VI did not want to move to the residence, the Danish parliament was placed there, and they also used the castle for receptions. From 1852-1863, monarch Frederick VII lived in Christiansborg, in 1884 the castle burned down.
The third and last architect of the castle was Thorvald Jogenson, who built it from 1907-1928 in the neo-baroque style. The roof was originally tiled, but in 1938 it was changed to copper sheets. On the spire of the castle there is a weather vane in the form of two crowns. The equestrian statue of Christian IX on the square by the sculptor Karl Nilsson became a wonderful addition to the castle. During construction, fragments of the masonry of the castle of Bishop Absalon were found.
Today the castle houses the Royal Residence, the Royal Library, the Danish Parliament, the Supreme Court and the Office of the Prime Minister. The rest of the castle houses a museum.
