Name: Vallø Castle.

Location: near Køge, Sjælland, Denmark.

Map: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Denmark_location_sjalland.svg

Built in: 1256.

Current building: built in 1579-1765.

Current building: restored in 1893-1904.

Royal castle: in 1467-1523 and in 1708-1737.

Owner today: the Vallø Foundation.

 

History

Vallø consists of four wings with robust towers and is surrounded by a moat. Vallø traces its history back to the 13th century. From 1554 to 1651 it was divided into two separate estates, West Vallø and East Vallø. The south wing, with its robust corner towers, and the south end of the west wing were built from 1580 to 1586 by Mette Rosenkrantz, one of the richest women in Denmark of her day. In Christen Skeel's time of ownership, from 1638 to 1659, the castle was expanded to three storeys and the west wing extended. The north wing was built by Johan Cornelius Krieger in 1721. In 1708, Vallø was acquired by the Danish and Norwegian King Frederick IV who passed it on to Anne Sophie Reventlow in 1713. Anne Sophie Reventlow was a Danish noble and a royal mistress. She was later queen consort of Denmark and Norway in 1721–1730. She was the second spouse of king Frederick IV.

 

In 1711, King Frederick IV fell in love with her at a Masquerade Ball and wanted her as his mistress. Her mother refused to allow this. In 1712, the King took her to Skanderborg Castle, where she was married to him morganatically in a wedding ceremony by Thomas Clausen. The King's official spouse was still alive. However, he had committed bigamy once before, with Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg. The church authorities had not forbidden the king to engage in polygamy. She was made Princess and Duchess of Schleswig. In 1713, she was given Vallø as a fief. On 4 April 1721, soon after the death of Queen Louise, the King married Anne Sophie Reventlow a second time. This time, the wedding was formal and conducted under grand ceremonies. He declined to make this marriage morganatic, although it was regarded as highly scandalous by the noble subjects and foreign rulers alike, as it flouted the era's standards that royals marry regular noblewomen, their own subjects. The King had Anne Sophie Reventlow recognized as Queen, and had her crowned in May 1721. She has been referred to as the first non-royal to be Queen of Denmark: she was in reality the first since Ulvhild Hakansdotter, queen consort of Denmark in 1130-34 and queen consort of Sweden in 1117-1125 and in 1134-1148.

 

After Frederick IV's death in 1730, Anne Sophie Reventlow was expelled from Copenhagen to her birth place, the manor house Klausholm near Randers, Jutland. She was styled "Queen Anne Sophie", not Queen Anne Sophie of Denmark and Norway or Queen Dowager. She was placed virtually under house arrest on her estate the rest of her life, not allowed to leave Klausholm without permission from the king. In 1731 King Christian VI passed Vallø on to Queen Sophia Magdalene who in 1737 founded the Noble Vallø Foundation for Unmarried Daughters. A three-winged building designed by Lauritz de Thurah was built in the courtyard from 1735 to 1738. The surviving central wing expanded with an extra storey by Georg David Anthon in 1765. The park was turned into a Romantic landscape garden in 1830 but retains elements from the former French gardens from the 1720s. Vallø Castle was devastated by fire in 1893 but restored largely to its old design by Hans Jørgen Holm between 1893 and 1904. The estate is owned today by the Vallø Foundation and covers 4,109 hectares of land of which 1,860 hectares are woodlands. Apart from agriculture and forestry, the revenues derive from house rental, the inn, a campground located close to Køge. The castle still provides housing for women of the Danish nobility but since 1976 admission to the residences is not restricted to unmarried women but now also cover widows and divorced women.

 

Owners:

1256-1280 - Eskild Falk Krage

1280-1338 - Bo Eskildsen Falk

1338-1345 - Eskild Falk Krage

1345-1360 - Bo Eskildsen Falk

1360-1387 - Eskild Falk Krage

1387-1395 - Christine Evertsdatter Moltke, married Krage

1395-1405 - Jens Eskildsen Falk

1405-1407 - Birgitte Abrahamsdatter Baad, married Falk

1407-1409 - Kirsten Jensdatter Falk, married Podebusk / Karen Jensdatter Falk, married Thott

1409-1421 - Hans Henningsen Podebusk and Axel Pedersen Thott

1421-1467 - Hans Henningsen Podebusk and Oluf Axelsen Thott

1467-1475 - The family Podebusk and Christian I, King of Denmark and Norway

1475-1481 - Anne Jensdatter Thott and Christian I, King of Denmark and Norway

1481-1511 - The family Thott and John, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden

1511-1516 - Niels Eriksen Rosenkrantz and Christian II, King of Denmark and Norway

1516-1523 - Oluf Nielsen Rosenkrantz and Christian II, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden

1523-1545 - Oluf Nielsen Rosenkrantz

1545-1554 - Ida Munk, married Rosenkrantz

1554-1554 - Mette Olufsdatter Rosenkrantz, married (1) Rosensparre (2) Oxe (West Vallø) and Birgitte Olufsdatter Rosenkrantz, married Bille (East Vallø)

1554-1565 - Sten Rosensparre (West Vallø) and Peder Bille (East Vallø)

1565-1567 - Mette Olufsdatter Rosenkrantz, married (1) Rosensparre (2) Oxe (West Vallø) and Peder Bille (East Vallø)

1567-1575 - Peder Oxe (West Vallø) and Peder Bille (East Vallø)¨

1575-1588 - Mette Olufsdatter Rosenkrantz, married (1) Rosensparre (2) Oxe (West Vallø) and Peder Bille (East Vallø)

1588-1592 - Oluf Stensen Rosensparre (West Vallø) and Peder Bille (East Vallø)

1592-1602 - Oluf Stensen Rosensparre (West Vallø) and Oluf Pedersen Bille (East Vallø)

1602-1612 - Oluf Stensen Rosensparre (West Vallø) and Peder Pedersen Bille (East Vallø)

1612-1615 - Oluf Stensen Rosensparre (West Vallø) and Birgitte Olufsdatter Rosenkrantz, married Bille (East Vallø)

1615-1616 - Oluf Stensen Rosensparre (West Vallø) and Holger Olufsen Rosenkrantz (East Vallø)

1616-1620 - Oluf Stensen Rosensparre (West Vallø) and Ellen Marsvin, married Munk (East Vallø)

1620-1624 - Oluf Stensen Rosensparre (West Vallø) and Kirsten Ludvigsdatter Munk (East Vallø)

1624-1639 - Elisabeth Gyldenstjerne, married Rosensparre (West Vallø) and Kirsten Ludvigsdatter Munk (East Vallø)

1639-1639 - Birgitte Rud, married Skeel (West Vallø) and Kirsten Ludvigsdatter Munk (East Vallø)

1639-1651 - Christian Albretsen Skeel (West Vallø) and Kirsten Ludvigsdatter Munk (East Vallø)

1651-1659 - Christian Albretsen Skeel

1659-1695 - Otto Christiansen Skeel

1695-1707 - Christian Ottosen Skeel

1707-1708 - Christian Siegfried von Plessen

1708-1713 - Frederick IV, King of Denmark and Norway

1713-1730 - Anne Sophie Reventlow, Queen consort of Denmark and Norway in 1721-1730

1730-1730 - Christian VI, King of Denmark and Norway

1730-1737 - Sophia Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, Queen consort of Denmark and Norway

1737-today - the Vallø Foundation

 

The Vallø Foundation in 1737-today

A number of Lutheran chapters for noble ladies were founded in the late 17th and early 18th century. They were significant landowners and very influential in their local realms. The chapter of Vallø (Vallø Adelige Stift, Vallø Stift, Vallø Kloster) The Lutheran chapter for noble unmarried ladies was founded by Dowager Queen Sofie Magalene in 1738. The Abbess had to be of royal birth and the three successive Abbesses of Vallø exercied both Eccleastical and secular authority from 1728 to 1810. After 1810 the chapter has been lead by the Dechaness

 

1738-1743 Abbess Friederike von Würtemberg-Neuenstadt.

Dowager Queen Sofie Magdalene had desided to turn the County of Vallø, which was part of her dowry, into a chapter for ladies of the high nobility. The abbesses had authority in the Stift and possesed jus vocandi - the right to appoint the priests in the 17 churches within its territory. Friederike was daughter of Duke Friederich August von Württemberg-Neuenstadt.

 

1738-1757 Dechaness Beata Henriette von Reuss-Plauen.

She was daughter of Imperial Councillor, Baron Rudolph Caspar von Söhlenthal, and Chief Lady of the Court of Princess Louise (Hofmesterinde).

 

1748-1782 Abbess Louise Sophie Friederike af Slesvig-Holsten-Sønderborg-Glücksborg.

Used the title; Heiress to Norway, Duchess to Slesvig-Holsten, Glücksborg, Stormarn and Ditmarsken. She possed both secular and ecclesiastical authority in the whole of the chapter, though the founder, Dowager Queen Sofie Magdalene had secured herself the right of veto for life. Louise Sopie lived in 1711-82.

 

1758-1768 Dechaness Anna Margaretha von Schmettau.

Daughter of Privyl Councillor Peter von Brandt and widow of Privy Councillor and Envoy Frederik Vilhelm von Schmettau. Chief Lady of the Court of Prince Frederik. She lived in 1685-1768.

 

1773-1776 Dechaness Margaretha Maria Thomasine Numsen.

She was daughter of Major General Johan Peter von Ingenhaef and widow of Fieldmarchal, Privy Councillor Michael Numsen, and lived in 1705-1776.

 

1776-1785 Dechaness Eleonora Louisa Caroline Knuth.

Daughter of Privy Councillor Joachim Christopher Moltke and widow of Privy Councillor, Count Eggert Christopher Knuth. She lived in 1728-1785.

 

1782-1810 Abbess Sophie Magdalene af Slesvig-Holsten-Sønderborg-Glücksborg.

The chapter (stift) influenced both church, shools, roads, bridges, inns, mills, forestry, care of the poor and sick. The Stift is still a major landowner. It was desided not to appoint new Abbesses after her death, and the Dechaness became the leader of the Chapter.

 

1785-1793 Dechaness Frederikke Louise Holck-Winterfeldt.

Daughter of Count Adam Ahlefeldt and widow of Privy Councillor, Count Gustav Frederik Holck-Winterfeldt til Wintersborg. Chief Lady of the Court of Dowager Queen Juliane-Marie (Overhofmesterinde). She never stayed at Vallø, and lived in 1736-1785.

 

1793-1798 Dechaness Marie Elisabeth Moltke.

Daughter of Privy Councillor Baron Verner Rosenkrantz til Villestrup and widow of Privy Councillor Anton Heinrich Molkte, and lived 1742-1798.

 

1799-1809 Dechaness Charlotte Elisabeth Henriette Holstein.

Daughter of Baron Inn- und Knyphausen and widow of Privy Councillor, Chief Master of the Hunt Count Christian Frederik Holstein til the County of Ledreborg.

 

1810-1811 Dechaness Henriette Sophie von Düring.

She was daughter of the Hannoveran Lieutenant General ernst Friederich von Rheder and widow of Friederich Ernst Christoph von Düring. She resigned and never lived in the chapter. In the 1810s the Chapter developped from an exclusive institution for the daughters of the highest nobility to a "life insurance" for unmarried daughters of the Danish nobility. She lived in 1752-1819.

 

1811-1839 Dechaness Lucie Charlotte Sehested Juul.

Daughter of Count Christen Scheel and widow of Christinan Sehestedt Juul til Raunhold. She died as Chief Lady of the Court of Dowager Queen Marie Sophie Frederikke, and lived in 1765-1839.

 

1840-1865 Dechaness Margrethe Vilhelmine von Schmettau.

Daughter of Privy Councillor Christian Ludvig Stemann and widow of Count Gottfried Vilhelm Christian von Schmettau and lived in 1780-1865.

 

1865-1893 Dechaness Sophie Amalie Bardenfledt.

It was not until the 1860’s, that Vallø started to sell it's farmhouses making many farmers and "husmænd" came to own their own farms. The castle burned almost to the ground and the 86 year old leader of the convent fled her chambers in her nightgown. She was widow of Carl Emil Bardenfleth and daughter of Count Gottfried von Schmettau. She lived in 1810-93.

 

1893-1904 Acting Dechaness Marie Winfrida Bangemann Huygens.

Daughter of the Dutch Ambassador, C.D.E.J. Bangemann Huygens. (d. 1904)

 

1904-1908 Acting Dechaness Komtesse Juliane Pauline Sofie Knuth.

She resigned from the post.

 

1908-1921 Acting Dechaness Karen Elisabeth Marie Christine Wichfeldt.

She resigned from the post.

 

1921-1932 Dechaness Anna Sophie Margrethe Emanuella Sponneck.

In 1919 the special privilleges for fidei commissum was abolished but Vallø and the Chapter for Noble Ladies of Vemmetofte were allowed to continue as special foundations. She was widow of Count of the Realm Frederik Vilhelm Sponneck and daughter of Count Knud Brockenhuss-Schack. She lived in 1859-1932.

 

1932-1943 Dechaness Margrethe Caroline Augusta Julie Danneskiold-Samsøe.

She was wido of Count Christian Valdemar Danneskjold-Samsøe and daughter of Baron Carl Juel-Brockendorff to the Barony of Schellenborg, Thorseng, Hindemae and Hollufgaard, and lived in 1867-1943.

 

1943-1946 Acting Dechaness L.H. de Seréne d'Acqueria.

She lived in 1867-1949.

 

1946-1948 Dechaness E.T. Moltke, née Countess Danneskiold-Samsøe.

She lived in 1869-1948.

 

1948-1965 Dechaness Benedicte Moltke.

In 1958 the chapter bought a car a replacement for the coach that had been used until then. She was widow of Count F.C. Moltke and daughter of Count K.A.V.Knuth and lived in 1893-1986.

 

1965-1968 Dechaness Edele Sophie Charlotte Elisabeth Ahlefeldt-Laurvig.

Widow of Count Julius Ahlefeldt-Laurvig and daughter of H.C.F.V. Cederfeld de Simonsen. Her daughter, Beke Reventlow, has been Dechaness since 1994. She lived in 1893-1984.

 

1968-1994 Acting Dechaness Ella Adelaide Wichfeld.

From 1976 the Chapter was open for widows or divorcees and later also for non-nobles. Normally known as Addi, she was daughter of N.H. F. Wichfeldt and unmarried. She resigned in 1994, and lived in 1898-2001.

 

1994-2009 Dechaness Beke Reventlow.

Widow of Christian Benedict Frederik Reventlow, Viscount/Marquess Reventlow of the County of Christianssæde in 1915-1984, and daughter of Count Julius Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Lehn and Edele Cederfeld de Simonsen (Dechaness 1965-68). She is mother of two daughters and a son. (b. 1921-).

 

2009-today Dechaness Marianne Elisabeth Bardenfleth (b. 1953).

The castle still provides housing for women of the Danish nobility but since 1976 admission to the residences is not restricted to unmarried women but now also cover widows and divorced women.

 

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Sources:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vall%C3%B8_Castle

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Sophie_Reventlow

www.guide2womenleaders.com/Denmark_Eccleastical.htm

The owner of the image above is Flemming.

Link: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vall%C3%B8_Castle_(Vall%C3%B8_Castle_(Stevns_Municipality).jpg

The image above is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Link: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

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