The area is covered again after a week, so that the find is protected. Photo: Robert Hansen / news At the Herregården in Larvik, the sound of shovels against stone can be heard. Bit by bit, the foundations of a castle that has been hidden underground for several hundred years are revealed. – It is so big that it is 17 May and Christmas Eve at the same time, says project manager at the Vestfold Museums, Aina Aske. It was a hit on the first try. Photo: Robert Hansen / news On Monday, the excavations began where they thought the stone castle could be located, and already on the first day they uncovered parts of the wall. Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve was a Danish officer and governor in Norway from 1664 to 1699. He was the son of King Frederik III, and an important man for many in Norway. Project manager at the Vestfold Museums, Aina Aske, is ecstatic after uncovering parts of the wall from the stone castle. Photo: Robert Hansen / news A mystery The stone castle has been a mystery. After the accounts for “Gyldensløve’s stone house” in the State Archives were found almost 20 years ago, the ball started rolling. Sources show that the castle was begun in the 1690s and completed in 1704, the same year that Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve died. He never managed to use it. The castle was demolished again in 1760, when the ground gave way and it began to crack. Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve was a well-known figure in Norway. Photo: Larvik Museum/Vestfoldmuseene – Must have been enormous Gyldenløve first built what is known as the Manor. This was probably to be a temporary building. The stone house was to be the actual residence in the county. The excavations started on Monday. Photo: Robert Hansen / news – How big is the building? – About. 27 meters in width, we also do not know the depth, how far up it extended on the upper side here. Then there was a wonderful garden. We know much more about the garden than the castle, says Aske. – How do you imagine this building when it stood here? – For people in the town here, it must have been enormous. That’s why we call it a castle. It was huge. She adds that they are surprised that so much of the walls should remain, and that the archaeologists are now able to retrieve so much knowledge. Photo: Riksantikvaren Full flap first day of excavation Experts have long known that there was a building here, but not exactly where. A new master’s thesis by Undis Furuberg paved the way for the excavation. She interpreted the traces of the historic Manor Garden, and made a new calculation for where the building could be located. And it paid off already on the first day of the excavation. They hit the spot. Several archaeologists have spent the week excavating parts of the old stone castle. Photo: Robert Hansen / news – This is an adventure. It is a wall that lies from one to almost two meters below the ground, and which has not been exposed to the light for a very long time. That’s what archaeologist Trude Aga Brun says. She believes the discovery is more than they could have dreamed of when they started with a lawn. Brun refers to the find as one of her biggest as an archaeologist. Hope it can become a sight On Friday, they finished the excavation, and the area was covered with earth for safety reasons and to preserve the remains of the building. The long-term dream is that the walls can remain open and that this is a place where they convey this exciting history, the project manager hopes. – It could become an attraction in the future? – Yes, I hope so. It’s worth it, says Aske.
ttn-69
Archaeologists have found Gyldenløve’s stone castle from the 17th century – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
