Nordmandsdalen, Fredensborg, Copenhagen Region, Denmark
As a part of the castle grounds of Fredensborg Palace, located north of Copenhagen, Nordmandsdalen sculpture park displays baroque statues commissioned by the king in the 1700s.
Today, the statues still stand and can be visited by the public. In total, 70 Baroque statues grace the amphitheater that is Nordmandsdalen. It is thought that king Frederick V himself originated the idea to create the three-tiered display.
The park was completed between 1764 and 1784, in an era when Norway and Denmark were still united as one empire. Unusual for the time, the statues depict fishermen, peasants and other regular folk. They are based on small wooden statues sent by a Norwegian post officer to the Royal Cabinet of Curiosities in Copenhagen.
In 1984, the Administration for Castles and Cultural Grounds moved to resculpt the ancient statues and in 2000, it was decided to recreate the entire estate. Experience the original statues in the Cisterns under Søndermarken
Today, the original sculptures are protected from the elements. They are displayed in an exhibition titled Guder og Godtfolk in the Cisterns under Søndermarken. The exhibition is comprised of 75 original sandstone sculptures from the mid 1700s. They originate from Nordmandsdalen, the marble bridge pavilions near the Christiansborg castle riding grounds, Holstein’s palace and St. Petri’s Church.
Epic Denmark Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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