page_title: Odense Palace
section_title: Palace
hierarchical_section_title: Odense Palace / Palace
caption_attribution_description: English: Detail of engraving of Odense from Braun &amp; Hogenberg: Civitates Orbis Terrarum 1593.
context_page_description: Odense Palace in the city of Odense on the Danish island of Funen has its origins in a 15th-century monastery which passed to the Crown after the Reformation, and since then has served as an administrative building: in turn as a seigneurial residence, an amt administrator's residence, a governor's residence, and a municipal government building. The main white Baroque building with 13 bays was designed by J.C. Krieger and completed in 1723.
context_section_description: In 1536, after the Reformation, the monastery became the property of the king and was given the name Odensegård. The monastery's property was merged with that of Næsbyhoved Castle, under the name Odensegård Seigneury. The first holder of the estate was Claus Daa. The remaining monks were allowed to stay, but had to share the premises with him. The seignors lived on their own properties in the summer and spent the winter at Odensegård. In the 1570s, Frederick II had the monastery rebuilt to better house the royal family when they stayed there. This rebuilding was completed in 1575, with the royal bedchambers and reception rooms being located in the west wing, the seigneurial residence in the east wing and the kitchen in the south. An additional story was added to all the wings, bringing them to their present height. The building then remained almost unchanged until 1720.
  During the Dano-Swedish wars in the mid-17th century, Odense was occupied by the Swedes, some of whose troops were billeted in the palace. The furnishings were all destroyed, used as kindling for the fireplaces, and the building was a shell when the Swedes withdrew.
  With the introduction of the absolute monarchy in 1660, Denmark replaced feudalism with government by amt, and the palace became the residence of the administrator of the Amt of Funen.
  When the king arrived with his attendants and court (over 100 people), the amt administrator was responsible for accommodating them. Frederick IV made many circuits of his realm, and was dissatisfied with Odensegård. He therefore commissioned Johan Cornelius Krieger to rebuild the palace. Between 1721 and 1723, an entirely new main building was erected on the north side, containing a great hall that was used for banqueting, the Rosensal, and also new private chambers for the king and queen and many guest rooms. The king was pleased, especially with the new gardens, and visited several times; on 12 October 1730, he died there. After his death, the kings stayed at the palace only in passing, but the large complex was also used by foreign rulers on their way to and from Copenhagen.
  During the Napoleonic Wars, the palace was used as a command centre by a succession of generals, including the French Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, who later became King Charles XIV John of Sweden.
caption: The oldest depiction of Odense Palace, from Braunius' map of 1593. The towers contain the stairs.
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