The Château d'Esparron-de-Verdon is located in the commune of Esparron-de-Verdon in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department.
The first mention of a castle in Esparron dates back to 990. A charter from the abbey of Lérins, dated that year, refers to a church dedication near 'castrum Sparronis, in Bulzolschi valle.' Historian Mathieu Vivas suggests this text dates more likely to the 1020s, tied to the incastellamento phenomenon in Provence, during which fortified settlements emerged. In 1182, a man named Bertrand d'Esparron is cited in the cartulary of the Saint-Victor Abbey in Marseille.
Agnès Spata, daughter of Augier Spata, married Boniface IV de Castellane in the early 13th century. The Castellane family, one of the oldest Provençal families, shared lordship of Esparron with the d'Esparron family during the 13th and 14th centuries. By the 15th century, the Castellane family became sole lords of Esparron through marriage and purchase.
A square tower, 9 meters wide with walls 1.5 meters thick, was constructed in the early 13th century. Modifications occurred between 1520 and 1540, with additions like a latrine tower and a spiral staircase.
In the late 18th century, the east wing was restored with modern touches like adjoining rooms, salons, and ceremonial chambers. The current owner, Count Bernard de Castellane-Esparron, inherited the estate in 1989 and, along with his wife Charlotte-Anne, has since converted the castle into a guesthouse.
The castle features a 13th-century square keep, modified in the 15th century, as well as remnants of curtain walls and living quarters from the 15th and 17th centuries. In the latter half of the 18th century, the seigneurial castle was transformed into a pleasure residence by reconstructing the south wing.
Rosenborg Palace was built in the period 1606-34 as Christian IV’s summerhouse just outside the ramparts of Copenhagen. Christian IV was very fond of the palace and often stayed at the castle when he resided in Copenhagen, and it was here that he died in 1648. After his death, the palace passed to his son King Frederik III, who together with his queen, Sophie Amalie, carried out several types of modernisation.
The last king who used the place as a residence was Frederik IV, and around 1720, Rosenborg was abandoned in favor of Frederiksborg Palace.Through the 1700s, considerable art treasures were collected at Rosenborg Castle, among other things items from the estates of deceased royalty and from Christiansborg after the fire there in 1794.
Soon the idea of a museum arose, and that was realised in 1833, which is The Royal Danish Collection’s official year of establishment.