Located north of the town of Sigtuna in Uppland, Sweden, Venngarn Castle is a non-fortified edifice. While it was known since at least the 13th century, the castle was largely built in 1670 for Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie in collaboration with the architect Jean de la Vallée.
During the 15th century, the estate was owned by the noble family Banér. In 1441, it was given to Cecilia Haraldsdotter (Gren) upon her marriage to a member of the Banér family. It was then inherited by her daughter Sigrid Eskilsdotter (Banér), the maternal grandmother of King Gustav Vasa of Sweden, and through her it came to belong to the royal house in 1555. In 1568, the estate was given to Princess Sophia of Sweden upon her marriage and served as her residence alongside Ekolsund Castle.
During the 1590s, the estate was often used by Princess Sophia's adult son, Gustav of Saxe-Lauenburg (1570–1597). The property was sold to Count Frans Berendt von Thurn in 1619 and bought by Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie in 1653. Venngarn Castle was confiscated by the crown during the Reduction of Charles XI and has since 1686 been rented out by the crown.
From 1916 to 1997, the site served as an institution for the rehabilitation of people suffering from alcoholism. Since 1997, it has served as a health center.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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