The palace complex Drottningholm, which translates as "Queen's Island", got its name not only because of its location on the island of Luvön in Lake Mälaren, but also because of its purpose - in the 16th century Johan III gave this small castle as a gift to his wife Katarina Jagiellonka. However, in the second half of the 17th century, the building was damaged in a severe fire and was later reconstructed by the order of its new owner, Hedviga Eleonora. The new building was designed by Nicodemus Tessin (the elder) and completed after his father's death by his son Tessin (the younger). The modest yet elegant building without massive fortress walls and towers was more reminiscent of the French Versailles than a typical castle typical of that part of Europe at that time.
As a result of the Thirty Years' War, Sweden became the greatest and most powerful European power, which gave its monarchs the opportunity to decorate royal residences with the spoils of conquest. That is why in the parks and interiors of the palace you can find various Prague sculptures, Dutch bronze or Italian antique statues, as well as the Danish Hercules fountain. Due to the restoration work carried out at Drottningholm, Queen Hedwig Eleonora used it more as a place to store her art collection.
Luvisa Ulrika, who received the palace as a wedding gift in 1744, left the most significant mark on the appearance of modern Drottningholm. She introduced French Rococo elements to the palace's interiors and also opened an opera house on the grounds. A unique feature of this court theatre is the preserved Italian mechanisms, which were used in the 18th century to move scenery around the stage and create sound effects.
The Chinese Pavilion is also one of the main attractions of Drottningholm. Built according to all the canons of French Rococo, the building abounds with oriental motifs. The Chinese pavilion was a place to store the exotic works of art that were flooding in from the East at the time, as well as a place of solitude and relaxation from the hustle and bustle of palace life.
The 19th century passed without much change for Drottningholm, as the building was empty most of the time. It was not until the early 20th century that the palace complex was restored, and since 1981 Drottningholm has once again been the residence of Swedish monarchs. One decade later, the Drottningholm palace complex became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
