Bjärka-Säby Castle is a baroque style château built for Swedish diplomat and nobleman, Germund Louis Cederhielm. The building was based upon plans from a prominent Swedish landscape architect, Fredrik Magnus Piper. Construction started in 1791 and was completed just before 1800. The surrounding landscape was design in the manner of a traditional English park. The palace was subject to renovation in 1894-1898 based upon plans of architect Agi Lindegren (1858-1927). His work differ from Piper's design and resulted in a Baroqueappearance.
Proposals for a restoration of the interior were advanced principally by Sigurd Curman, secretary of the Swedish National Heritage Board. Between 1920-1921, Eric Fant, architect at the Nordic Museum, conducted renovations reflecting the manor's origin in the late 1700s. The exterior has been allowed to retain the appearance resulting from the Agi Lindgren based conversion.
Since 1980, the château has been owned by Sionförsamlingen i Linköping, the Swedish Pentecostal movement's church in Linköping.
References:The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.
The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.
The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.
The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.