Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-01-20

DESTRUCTION OF THE ROYAL CASTLE OF
DENMARK.-lt has been briefly mentioned by
telegraph that the Palace of fredericksburg
III Denmark, had been destroyed by fire.
There are two royal residences in Denmark
which bear nearly the same name. The one,
close to Copenhagen in Fredericksburg, built
IN the 18th century by Frederick w., in the
Italian style. and afterwards enlarged by
Christian VI, and from the balcony Of which
there is a magnificent view over the city, the
Sound, and the coasts of Sweden. The other
palace, that of Fredericksburg, which has Just
been destroyed. was five miles from Copenha-
gen, and was the Pantheon of the glories of
Denmark. 1t was divided into three parts
separated from each other by fortified fosses.
eThe principal edifice had four stories, with
handsome towers and pinnacles. 1t had vast
collars extending under water, for the chateau
stood on an island in lake, but they were
built SO substantially that no dampness could
penetrate. What more particularly attracted
the attention of strangers visiting this place
was the chapel, situated in the left wing, and
embeished with sculptures, pictures, and the
most exquisite carvings III wood King Chris
tian the Fourth himself turned several of the
arabesques and flowers in ivory found there.
The altar was masterpiece of workmanship,
and had no less tina $50 kilogrammes of silver
employed on it. Over the gallery stood an
escutcheon with the arms of Denmark sur
rounded by those of the knights still living of
the orders of tile Elephant and of the Dame
berg. In an adjoining hall were the escutch-
cons of the deceased knights, and among them
that OF Napoleon l. The hall of the knights,
one of the largest in Europe, being not less
than 100 feet long was all of marble lis
handsome mantelpiece had been unfortunately
injured by the Swedes during the wars The
ceiling was ornamented with nnumerable fig
ures, groups, and symbocal and embemati-
cal representations of all kinds, ntermngled
with sentences in the Latin, Danish and Ger
man languages. 1t was Il real Meatrum mundi,
and twentysix artists were employed on it for
seven years. The portrait gallery was unique
of its kind, and of great value for the history
OF Denmark. Each sovereign had space re-
served for him, and round him were grouped
the members OF his family, ministers aud all
who had made themselves conspicuous under
his reign. In the collection were portraits of
the astronomer, Tyco Brahe, Il e poet Holbe-
70, the historian Suhm, and numerous Others
The portrait of Struensee and the unfortunate
Queen Mathilda, were not suspended in the
gallery, but visitors were shown the words
80, God, keep me innocent p which the
Queen had cut on one of the windows with a
diamond ring. Fredericksburg was, as has
been above mentioned, situated in the middle
of a lake, site expressly chosen by Christian
~, who was an experienced sailor and one
of the most popular kings ever known in that
country. 1t was his favorite place of resi-
dence. The courters laughed at the idea of
building palace in such spot, but the king
paid no attention to their remarks, and by the
aid of English architects and workmen, whom
he procured for that purpose, succeeded in
carrying out all his plans successfully, and
completing a magnificent pile of building
London Tines.