Wånas Castle, Knislinge, Sweden

Wanås Manor, first owned by Squire Eskild Aagesen (around 1440), has one of the most fascinating histories of all of Skåne’s stately homes. Its geographical location left Wanås vulnerable during the Swedish-Danish wars, and the original castle was burned to the ground in the Northern Seven Years’ War. A new building erected in 1566 incorporated what remained of the old one. Drawings from 1680 show the manor house more or less as it appears today.

During the Snapphane wars Wanås was a centre for the Danish resistance and their enemies were hanged from the 500-year-old oak that still stands in the Park. After the turbulent years of war, extensive repairs were undertaken by Baroness Lena Sofia von Putbus, whose initials can be seen on the eastern gable of the main building. The old cowsheds and stables were built by Betty Jennings between 1756 and 1760. Since the early 1800s Wanås has been owned by the Wachtmeister family. The castle is today a private home. The park is open to the public.

References:

The Wanås Foundation

User Reviews

René Fanø Pedersen (7 years ago)
Fantastic Art Park. The Restaurant is a little pricy.

Charles Ley (7 years ago)
World class outdoor artworks. A real gem!

Magnus Larsson (7 years ago)
The guided tour was excellent and the restaurant was good.

Marcin Zielinski (7 years ago)
Extremely nice place for one day trip with family and kids. Restaurant with good food and local beer, affordable. The main attraction is the art exhibition in the park. Quite amazing with almost 100 art pieces. Recommended even for those who are not into modern art.

Paul Malmheden (7 years ago)
Great art in the park, lots of new and old artworks, dont miss the aforismwall.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Zvonimir Hrvoj

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The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.

The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.

The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.

Wånas Castle

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