Penningby Castle

Penningby Castle is a medieval-period private castle located in the Länna parish of Norrtälje Municipality in Uppland, 70 kilometres north of Stockholm, Sweden. Situated in the valley near Edsviken, a narrow inlet in the Saltsjön bay of the Baltic Sea, the castle is one of the most well-preserved examples from the Vasa era.

The manor is first mentioned in the 1380s. Its earliest owners included Lord Tord Bonde, burgrave of Raseborg and margrave of Viborg. In the late 15th century, a fortress was built by its owners, initiated by Lady Birgitta Tordsdotter Bonde, daughter of Tord Karlsson (Bonde), Lord High Constable of Sweden. The medieval castle was a so-called twin house, which was unusual for its placement near the sea coast. To the northeast is an overgrown ruin castle with a moat, which may be the remains of a predecessor to the castle.

In the early 16th century, the immense tower was erected just before the 1550s under Lord Lars Turesson, Tre Rosor. During his time, the eastern façade received a new entrance. Later, the sea tower gained its round salon, arguably the most beautiful room in the castle. In the late 1700s, Fabian Casimir Wrede added to the fertile land on the castle grounds, draining marshes and increasing grain and hay production over fourteen years. In 1805, Countess Maria Juliana von Rosen had the castle garden recreated in an English style. A fire in 1831 destroyed the interiors, but the ceiling was restored and the tower was modified.

A section of the medieval walls remains today. After a restoration from 1951 to 1953, Penningby Castle was declared a national cultural heritage (byggnadsminne) in 1980. Today the castle is not inhabited, but visitors may have access to it during the summer. Olof Persson Stille, one of the early settlers in New Sweden, was employed on the Penningby Manor.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons