Details
Founded: 19th centuryCategory: Palaces, manors and town halls in Sweden
Historical period: Union with Norway and Modernization (Sweden)
User Reviews
The Västanfors manor house is in a delightful setting on the Strömsholm canal. The ironworks owners and managers with links to Västanfors have lived and worked here since the 17th century. The smelting house was demolished in the 1920s, as the entire operation had been moved to the Fagersta works. The old manor house was pulled down to make room for the rebuilding of the Strömsholm canal in the mid-1800s, the cut for which went straight across the estate. The two annexes from the 1850s and 1870s were rebuilt in their original locations. A splendid summerhouse from the 19th century can be seen in the park.
References:Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.
The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.
These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.