Landskrona Citadel

Landskrona Citadel
Citadellet
Landskrona Municipality
Landskrona Citadel
Scania, Sweden
Type	Castle
Coordinates	55°52′23″N 12°49′21″E
Built	1559 (1559)
Open to the public	By appointment
overview of the Citadel

Landskrona Citadel, (Swedish: Citadellet or Landskrona slott), is situated in Landskrona, Scania, southern Sweden. Initially built 1549-1559 as a purely defensive fortification with two complete moats, the inner with a width of 70 metres. The outer (complete) moat is between 40 and 70 meter wide, and has cross fire bastions for artillery and guns. Outside the outer moat a third narrower moat covers the nortwest and northeast. There exists also remains of a fourth moat (between the two outer moats). The fortifications and moats system surrounding the castle is known to be one of Europe's largest and best presurved. In the area between the outer and far outer moat, resides the oldest area of alloment-garden cottages of Sweden.

It was captured in 1644 by forces led by Gustav Horn, but returned to Danish possession the year after. Eventually it became Swedish again in 1658 as a result of the Treaty of Roskilde. Between 1667 and 1675 the citadel was expanded with extensive bastions. In the middle of the 18:th century the local military commander feared (quite suddenly) that the 15:th century church, Johannes Babtistæ Kyrka ("John the Babtist church") which at the time was the second larget in Scania), must be destroyed. The reason was a fear for enemy canons in the church tower. The whole church was demolished and a new, Sofia Albertina was built some decades later. The Castle was used as a women prison from the late 19:th century and some decades later. Today the castle is both a kind of museum (guided tours only, but not expensive. Daily during the summer) and can be rented for private parties.

External links

• Landskrona Slott (in Swedish)