The medieval manor on Arnö Island that survived a 17th-century merger

Utö hus has stood firmly on Arnö Island since the early 15th century. This medieval manor house was built as a sturdy rectangular structure. Its presence is defined by distinctive crow-stepped gables that have weathered the passage of time.

The estate belonged to the Schack family until the 1630s. That decade marked a turning point when Johan Skytte, the Chancellor of Uppsala University, married Maria Näf. This union led to the merger of the manor with the neighboring Grönsö Manor. We invite you to consider the complex history of this architectural union.

Significant repairs occurred around 1740, yet the domestic life of the building slowed over the next century. It remained inhabited until 1840, when it transitioned into a storage facility. This shift in use represents a significant change in the building's history.

Now a well-preserved relic, the building was donated to the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities in 1937 by Alice von Ehrenheim. We encourage visitors to explore the internal room divisions. These spaces have remained largely unchanged since the first half of the 17th century, offering a direct window into the past.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons