The fortress taken by King Gustav Vasa by siege

Ängsö Castle stands as a cubical stone and brick structure on the island of Ängsö. While its current appearance was finalized in the 1740s, the lower parts of the building are preserved from the Middle Ages.

King Canute I first recorded the property as Engsev in a royal charter during the 1100s. It spent much of the 1200s under the ownership of Riseberga Abbey before moving into private hands. By the 1480s, riksråd Bengt Fadersson Sparre built the current castle as a fortress.

That fortress faced a violent transition in 1522 when King Gustav Vasa took the castle by siege. Its owner, Knut Bengtsson, had sided with the Danish King Christian II. After the conflict, the king gave the property to Bengtsson's daughter, Hillevi Knutsdotter. The castle remained with the Sparre family until 1710, when it passed to Carl and Christina Piper.

The Piper family held the estate for over two hundred years. During this period, the castle underwent significant changes, including a 1630s redecoration and a major expansion by Carl Hårleman between 1740 and 1741.

Today, the castle is a museum and a listed building owned by the Westmanna foundation. You can visit the site and the museum during the summer months.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons