When Henry and I visited Rosenborg Palace, I noticed in our tour a distinct change in the interior architecture and decorations as we moved from the ground floor to the upper floor of the castle. The lower floors, dated between the years 1606 and 1611, are the earlier part of the castle. These were designed in the Dutch Renaissance Style of architecture. Christian the IV participated in designing the building, which is furnished in the best materials of the day: wood, marble, and stone,  Beautiful fireplaces with elegant mantels, coffered ceilings that framed paintings on wood, thick ceilings of stucco with deeply carved and painted decorations are all part of this period. One of the rooms contains 75 Dutch paintings purchased by Christian IV, and another room is entirely tiled in Delft tiles of blue and white and brown and white designs, mostly of sailing ships or abstract flowers. The ambience is regal, yet warm, with furniture of extraordinary wood, inlays and gilt details. A wall painting depicts Christian IV in armor in another room. One of the rooms, called “The Dark Room” earned its name after the Great Tower was built in 1616, the tower casting it in eternal shadow.

PHOTOS: Left Column: 1. Ceiling decorated with deeply carved stucco inlaid with colorful paintings. 2. A room paneled and upholstered with patterned tapestries with red background. The free standing fireplace has magnificent silver andirons. The ceiling is paneled with framed paintings on wood. 3. Detail: trompe l’oeil painted ceiling. 4. Desk of exotic wood, leather and gilt in a room with leaded glass windows. 5. Detail: Golden brass ormolu decorates the marble fireplace in one of the ground floor rooms of Rosenborg Castle. 6. Three porcelain Chinese figures stand on a  cabinet of exotic wood. Center, Top: Queen Anna Catherine of Brandenburg, Christian IV’s bride, her portrait inlaid in a richly carved gilt frame and mounted on a wall upholstered in tapestry. Center, Middle:  A paneled wall with Dutch paintings from the collection of King Christian IV. A handsome clock stands in the center of the wall. Center, Bottom: A wall painting of Christian IV in full armor with heraldry. Right Column: 1. Hall with deeply carved stucco ceilings and inlaid marble floors. 2. Hall with framed  painted ceilings, marble fireplace, inlaid marble floors. It is furnished with portrait busts and furniture in the Dutch Renaissance Style. 3. Detail: Profile view of the carved marble fireplace.

JOURDAN ARPELLE-ZIEGLER                                        BACK TO MAP  PAGE