SOANE TRAVELS: Sweden
from the Castles of Skåne in Southern Sweden to Stockholm and the surrounding Countryside
Sunday, 14 May to Sunday, 21 May 2006
Organizer: Stefano Aluffi-Pentini
A Private View of Europe/A Private View of Italy
Lecturers: Dr. Johan Cederlund, Lars Sjöberg and Dr. Stuart Wrede
Gray skies or brilliant blue skies, either provided a beautiful palate to highlight the extraordinarily diverse architecture as we saw visiting 26 manor houses and castles during our eight days.
Departing from Copenhagen, we cross into the southern province of Skåne, where the history is rich and the area contains over 240 castles and manor houses. Situated across the Danish Straits, this province has had long Danish connections and is the site of many battles for sovereignty of the area. After two nights in the area, we will spend a day driving up the West Coast before boarding a train to cross the country and arrive in Stockholm which will be our home base for intensive explorations.
SOANE TRAVELS is an educational travel program featuring scholars in the fields of architecture, design and decorative arts and is sponsored by Sir John Soane's Museum Foundation.
PHOTO CREDITS: While most of the photos contained here are mine... I have incorporated in several from fellow travelers Lucy Day (LD), Grant Gibson (GG) and Mercedes Mestre (MM) - thank you!
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| Starting in Copenhagen in Denmark, we crossed on the Oresund Bridge into Malmö. |
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| View of the HSB Turning Turso Tower from the Oresund Bridge. (MM) |
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| This amazing new tower in Malmo, Sweden was designed by Santiago Calatrava |
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| Our first house - and one of the best - Svenstorp - is set amongst breathtaking farmlands (below). |
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| Birch Coffey listening intently... |
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| A fountain in the city of Lund - home base for several days of exploring the southern Swedish countryside. |
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| Kragholm |
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| Wopderful light pouring into the Dining Room of Krageholm. |
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| ... and in the private chapel. |
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| Wrams Gunnarstorp - seen from the rear garden path. |
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| A garden allee at Wrams Gunnarstorp |
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| Inner Courtyard |
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| One of the many barns. |
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| The main facade of Wrams Gunnarstorp |
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| A great allee of trees leads to Ovedskloster. (GG) |
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| The courtyard facade of Ovedskoster |
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| An old tradition at Ovedskloster are the upturned horse shoes flanking the main entry to the house. |
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| . . . back to the bus! |
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| Torup |
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| A feature of the tower library is an amazingly huge globe. |
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| Torup has not one but two great libraries - this one housed in a special wing. |
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| The Gardens of Norrvikens Tradgadar. These beautiful acres are now under the care and guidance of famed landscape designer Tage Andersen. |
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| One of the many rooms in this garden. (LD) |
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| Gunnebo |
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| Views out at the entry parterres of Gunnebo from upper window. (GG) |
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| We crossed the county by high speed train - the X2000 - from Gotenburg to Stockholm where we checked into the Grand Hotel. |
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| STOCKHOLM. A sunrise view from our room at the Grand Hotel overlooking the Royal Palace and harbor. |
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| A view into the garden of the House of Nobility in Stockholm. (GG) |
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| The great ceremonial chamber of the House of Nobility is lined floor to ceiling on all four walls with hundreds of family crests. (GG) |
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| Stockholm's Public Library as designed by Gunnar Asplund |
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| The magnificent interior drum |
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| The Royal Palace of Drottingholm located outside of Stockholm. (MM) |
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| Dr. Johan Cederlund was one of our three scholars that lead us through the history of Sweden. |
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| The colors of spring line a palace wall. |
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| Detail of the plaster Guards Pavilion. |
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| One of the two separate pavilions that are part of the Chinese Pavilion complex at Drottingholm. (GG) |
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| One of the wings of the Chinese Pavilion. (GG) |
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| The Haga Pavilion built by Gustava III is on the grounds of what to be a very large grand palace that was never executed. Below are the Guards Pavilions on the grounds. |
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| Beautiful glazed room opening to the lake. (GG) |
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| On the grounds of Haga, the Guards Pavilions. |
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| Rosendal Palace in Stockholm |
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| Orbylhus |
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| Carriage House |
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| The Garden Conservatory |
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| Extraordinary high walls protect the rear of Orbylhus |
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| Entry pavilions to Lovstabruk. |
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| A small conservatory across the river. |
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| One of the many beautiful buildings and barns that are part of Lovstabruk. |
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| Wendy Moonan and Frances Schultz outside of the home of Lars and Ursla Sjoberg - where we were to dine that night. |
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| Another of the homes that make up the Sjoberg's collection of original 18th Century dwellings. |
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| The main salon has been turned into a charming dining room for the night. |
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| Tullgarn (GG) |
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| One of the many great rooms at Tullgarn. |
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| A detail of the floor pattern. |
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| A view of Thureholm as we arrive. (MM) |
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| Thureholm's setting is most dramatic as the house and dependencies are built on a high platform and accessed by this long ramp. |
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| Lecturer Lars Sjoberg |
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| Elghammer (MM) |
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| Elghammar - always described as a Russian house in Sweden as it was designed by an architect working in St. Petersburg. The inscription 'More Parentum' was the motto chosen "in the manner of our forefathers." |
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| Portrait of the architect Giacomo Quarrenghi |
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| And here are the cloths worn in the painting. |
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| Two lakeside views at Elghammar. (GG) |
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| Just outside of Stockholm is an amazing UNESCO World Heritage Site. Commonly called The Woodland Cemetery, many of the structures were designed by famed architect Gunnar Asplund. |
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| The cemetery is vast with huge groves of pines and other trees. (MM) |
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| One of many sculptures incorporated into the design of the cemetery. |
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| Lecturer Stuart Wrede |
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| One of several small chapels tucked into the forest. |
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| Sinuous birchwood benches found in one of the chapels. |
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| Chippy Irvine and Birch Coffey captured taking a break! |
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| Gripsholm - our final spot of the 26 visited.... |
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| A small conservatory just outside the palace walls. |
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| The drawbridge to the palace with the town in the distance. |
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| A late afternoon view towards Stockholm's City Hall with stormy skies. |
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| The FINAL night of a group trip - so what else do you do - but get a group shot. (MM) |
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| Trip organizers Clemente di Napoli Rampolla and Stefano Aluffi-Pentini |
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| ... and Chas giving a final toast... |
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POST TRIP - More Fun For Some!
While many of us were on planes heading back home... others stayed in Stockholm to enjoy a little bit more...
One of the places that I personally wanted to try, but couldn't fit it in, was the ABSOLUTE ICE BAR. Like the famed ice hotels of the north that are created each winter season, here in a Stockholm hotel they have created a similar experience.. by reservation only! Shown here are Mercedes Mestre, Nat Day, Susie Magee and Lucy Day (in foreground). (photo from LD)
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To find out more about the SOANE TRAVELS plans the future, and Sir John Soane's Museum Foundation,
please go to http://www.soanefoundation.com/travels.html
Planning ahead...
Derbyshire England in May 2007
Sea Cloud II sailing from England to Portugal in August 2007
Sicily with Stefano in late April/early May 2008
St. Petersburg in June 2008
Dublin and the Irish Country Manors in 2009
India in 2010
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