Rosenborg

132

HISTORY OF ROSENBORG CASTLE

lin g could only have been undertaken after the stair tower

had so to say been cut loose from the west wall of the house,

so that the new foundations might be laid behind it and the

new wall-reinforcement be bu ilt upon them. This actually

means that the tower was pulled down and never rebuilt.

From the accounts we know the reasons for this rein

forcing; there had been a collapse — partial, I presume —

of the 8 m wide and very flat barrel-vault in the cellar; this

vault was bu ilt up again (1608) and the walls of the house

were strengthened as shown, but only on its three sides, as

on th e n o r th s ide the o ld gab le w a ll s t i l l s ta n d s in

its o r ig in a l th ic k n e s s (about 0,70 m); this wall is also

preserved to some extent on the g ro u n d f lo o r (between

„the dark chamber“ and „the marbled chamber“ ), where I

had the panelling and a peace of the wall-hanging (1705) re

moved so that the old, well-jointed outer wall came to

view — in the middle of the new castle.

Portions of the remarkable ch e q u e re d c e ilin g in the

G re a t H a ll of the first Rosenborg (1607) are still preserved,

now placed — disconnectedly and scarcely in the original

direction — partly in the north end, partly in the south end

of the first floor. On account of the red background of the

squares the room was later called „The Red Hall“ . I t stood

until 1705, but was no longer recognisable, because that floor

of the castle was by this time divided up into a number of

narrow rooms and corridors in all directions.

I t is probable that the great carved sandstone fireplace,

now — contrary to all Christian the Fourth tradition — in

the long window-wall of the king's „bedchamber“ , also dates

from the first Rosenborg.