Description of the attraction
Millesgården, the former home and sculpture garden of the most prominent Swedish sculptor, Karl Milles (1875-1955), is located northeast of Stockholm, on the island of Lidingo. Karl Miles bought land on the Herserud cliff above Lake Vardan in 1906 immediately after his wedding. The goal of the young couple was to build a house with enough space for an art studio.
The house was built by the architect Karl M. Bengtsson in 1908. Over the course of half a century, the estate was expanded by the design of Karl's half-brother, architect Evert Milles. In 1911-1913, an open-air studio was erected to improve the working conditions of Carl Milles, as the sculptor suffered from a serious form of silicosis caused by inhaling stone dust while working. In 1920-1930, additional territories were acquired on the southern slope of the cliff, which further expanded the holdings. During the couple's absence from the country from 1931 to 1950, when Karl was a professor in Michigan, USA, Millesgaarden's development stalled, but Evert Milles continued to draw up blueprints for future construction projects.
In 1936, Millesgården was transformed into a foundation that was donated to the Swedish people, and it was first opened to the general public in the late 1930s.
On the eve of the return of Karl and Olga Milles to the country in 1950, a spacious lower terrace and a fountain of sculptures were built, where copies of monuments from various parts of Sweden and the United States were located. Karl Milles died on September 19, 1955 and was buried in the park.
Millesgården can rightfully be called a true work of art thanks to the beautiful balance of terraces, fountains, stairs, sculptures and columns, combined with a variety of vegetation and overlooking the waters of Lake Vardan.
