| Architecture
| | The building of Kronborg started in 1574. Master builder and architect was Hans van Paesshen. He was preceded by Antonius von Opbergen and he covered the castle with sandstones, which was fetched from a quarry in the Helsingborg area.
The castle was inaugurated in 1582, but was not finished until 1583. Both architects were from Holland and the style of Kronborg has been called “Dutch reniassance”. |
The Architecture of Kronborg
In his work ”the History of Kronborg” from 1939 V. Wanscher sums up his art historic description of the castle during its different building stages:
When we are to determine Kronborg´s placing in art history, which we are better prepared than the old, we should stress that this castle is unique among the north European through its greatness and rhythmical idea. Kronborg unites the late Gothic architecture with the renaissance baroque.
The square shape was taken from the time of Erik of Pommern, but still it was not until much rebuilding that Kronborg could fill out and assert the shape.
Such are also the strict processing of the façades, especially the external with their strict walls and widely distributed square windows in the third storey, the watchman´s gallery, the dormer ends and the square corner tower, a heritage from the late Gothic architecture...”
Wanscher thus claims that Kronborg contains elements from three different styles, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. The watchman´s gallery, which Wanscher mentions, was covered in the second building stage, but on the other side even the windows of the castle church in Gothic pointed arch style can be pointed out as another Gothic style element.
Inspiration
Wanscher mentions that the sandstone lining of the second stage, like the building of the east wing are elements, which endow the castle a more homogenous (cubic) character, perhaps inspired by southern palaces. The dominating styles in the external decoration of the castle are renaissance of the strongly decorative Flanders type, with decorated towers, gables, window casings and portals.
If you want to look for models out in the world, you will get lost. This is partly due to the fact that the master builders and the craftsmen had gone away from the uncertain relationships in the Netherlands (The Netherlands suffered under Spanish rule and grave conflicts was especially hard on the Protestants). The Danish king offered safe conditions and career opportunities in the north. Knowledge and competence was imported, but the building became unique and Kronborg had its own style and a unique placing.
The Interaction
The interaction between the towers and the gables are striking. It is typical of the Nordic renaissance, but the extensive decorative touches are also striking.
The east wing, the last to be built, is in its lower part designed with a so-called diamond or ashlar joint. This leads to the Italian renaissance, but once again with a very decorative stamp.
The portals are also numerous. Mercury and Hermes – probably a reference to the importance of the Sound duty, flank the main entrance. Originally this portal was meant for Skanderborg Castle, but it was moved to Kronborg.
Kronborg | 
The Main Portal, Kronborg | 
The Castle Yard | 
The castle church has gothic windows |
Baroque
Wanscher stresses in his description of the castle that details, which was added in the second building stage by Antonius van Opbergen, are done in Baroque, which is very early. This also applies to the now missing dome on the south tower and the end of the church, which is called ”Kakkelborg”, and which appears clearly against the sea.
The East House End, baroque | 
Baroque |
Fire and Rebuilding
In 1629 the castle burned down almost to the ground. The interior of the castle church with its characteristic woodcuts in coffer style is the only thing that was spared in the fire. The original roof in the banqueting hall was also a coffer roof of enormous dimensions, but it was probably too expensive to replace. Christian IV paid for the rebuilding with his own means, i.e. the income from the Sound duty. The master builder and architect in this third stage was also Dutch, Hans van Steenwinkel. He was behind the arrangements in Baroque style, which is characteristic of many details in the roofs and fireplaces.
In a prospectus from 1645 you see that Frederik II´s dome on the south tower has not been rebuilt. Instead a square superstructure is shown, which no longer exists.
The Fortification
It is remarkable that Frederik II in a letter from January 24th 1577 talks about the castle as ”the new fortification”. (In the same letter he named it Kronborg)
It seems that the king´s ideas of the project developed from being about a modern royal residence to a representative as well as strongly fortified castle.
However, the plans for a fortification of the castle originate from the time before the restoration of Krogen. Christian III hired the Saxon master builder Hans von Dieskau in order to fortify the fortifications of Krogen. A drawing from the hand of Diskau shows that he planned to supply the castle with bricked bastions in the north eastern and southwestern corners. These measures were taken because the war technology of the time was changing rapidly.
The Cannons and the Extending of the Fortifications
The medieval fortress´ fortification consisted mainly of its high wall and sometimes moats, which were hard to cross and from where they could fire at and scald attacking enemies. The increasing employment of cannons in the 15th and 16th century made it necessary to extend and fortify the fortifications. In time even a special military architecture was developed, whose predecessors can be found among the Italian renaissance architects, among them Michelangelo. In 1527 he led the work with the fortifications of Florence.
Even in Kronborg the first master builder Hans van Paeschen built a fortification with four bastions, of which there are still remnants. In his work he was inspired by the fortification of Antwerp. Many of his artisans probably came from there. The second master builder Antonius van Opbergen, built on van Paeschen´s plans in concert with Frederik II.
Lundehave
In connection with Kronborg Frederik 2. let build the summerhouse, Lundehave, one kilometre away in 1587. Lundehave was constructed as a narrow building in three storeys, possibly by Hans van Steenwinckel the Older. It is built in Italian Renaissance style with a garden, also in Italian Renaissance style. Here the royal family could seek shelter from the windy Kronborg and the garden probably also contributed to the housekeeping in Kronborg.
The garden consists of a number of rectangular/square beds, as can be seen in Resen´s atlas, which has been laid out in geometric patterns, for example with star patterns. The planting is low, perhaps bordered with small box hedges and the entire lay out can be surveyed
Lundehave | 
Lundehave - Marienlyst |
Sparepenges Garden
Frederik 2.also built the original Frederiksborg Castle, which in the north was surrounded by Lille Dyrehave, which was fenced and held different live animals. With Sparepenge Frederiksborg got a summer castle in Italian Renaissance style. Christian 4. renewed it and lived here, while the building of the new Frederiksborg went on around the year 1600. Between Sparepenge and the main castle a typical Renaissance garden was laid out. It was, like Lundehave, built up by horizontal beds in geometric style. |