On the night between 24 and 25 September 1629, Kronborg was destroyed by fire. The walls remained, while large parts of the castle's interior perished. The chapel was saved because the vaulted ceiling was strong enough to withstand the falling, burning beams.
Christian IV wanted to rebuild his father's castle immediately and his argument was that once a country no longer appreciates its own architectural treasures it is really impoverished persuaded a reluctant National Council. The Sound Dues were increased, and reconstruction was commenced in 1631 under the management of the King's master builder, Hans van Steenwinckel the Younger. Six years later rebuilding of the castle was completed.
Kronborg's exterior was reverently recreated in accordance with his father's castle; Christian IV only made the towers taller. The stair turrets, which used to have spires, only got a dome-shaped copper roof, while the distinguished towers were extended above the roof and fitted with multi-storey spires.
The King took the opportunity to modernise the castle's interior. The floor-to-ceiling height of the Ballroom was increased by a couple of metres, and the original coffered ceiling replaced by a series of ceiling paintings with Danish historical motifs. The series was commissioned from Dutch artists from Utrecht, notably Gerrit van Honthorst and Salomon Koninck. A good many of these paintings have survived at the castle. Combined with the replacement of fireplaces and various ornaments, they reflected the introduction of early Baroque at Kronborg.
Last updated:: Monday, November 28, 2011
