Karl (Charles) XI is perhaps the Swedish king that most enjoyed spending time in Kungsör and he had this church built for the Royal Manor. It took from 1690 to 1700 to build the church but unfortunately the king never saw it when it was finished. He died in 1697 when a lot of work remained to be done on the interior. To mark the bicentennial of his death, a large gilded copper crown was mounted on the church dome in 1897.
The church was designed by Nicodemus Tessin, the Younger, and the altarpiece and silver collection were designed by Burchardt and David Klöcker Ehrenstral. The church was opened in the year 1700 and is an original Baroque church characterized by a number of King Karl XI’s personal touches. The pulpit is from the Tre Kronor palace chapel.
For guided tours of the church, please contact the parish registrar’s office.
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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.