The building that turned back time

On a small island in Lake Fläcksjön in Sala commune, County of Västmanlands, sits a building known as the Ebba Brahe pavilion, or the memorial building on Braheholmen. It was constructed in 1807-1808 and is a protected building monument since 2016. Although it does not stand as the main castle at the site, it is a significant structure with a rich history. The building is a memorial to the infamous Axholms Slott, built by Magnus Brahe in 1598. Axholms Slott was the main residence of the wealthy Brahe family, and the island it was built upon, Braheholmen, was part of their Rörbo complex.

The Brahe family owned several ironworks such as Bockhammar, Hörnsjöfors, and Svanå, and Axholms Slott was their main residence. However, the Slott has an infamous past. In the 17th century, Ebba Brahe, the daughter of Magnus Brahe, inherited the property. She later passed it on to Pontus de la Gardie. In the early 1700s, the Slottsgård was abandoned for a new main building on the mainland, Axholms gård. Axholms Slott fell into disrepair and was burned in the mid-1700s.

The current building on Braheholmen was built in the early 1800s by Knut Posse as a memorial to Axholms Slott. The interiors of the current building were painted with motifs from legends surrounding Ebba Brahe and Axholms Slott. The current building stands on a platform that may be the remnants of the old castle. The material used to build the current building may have come from the remains of the old castle.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons