The Rosendal Barony
The Rosendal Barony painted by Anders M.Askevold, 1862. (Oil on canvas. Photo: Pål Hoff, owner: Baroniet i Rosendal)
The Great Landowners, Gentry and Monasteries
REGIONS, ESTATES AND A GOOD MARRIAGE
“The aristocracy is a gang of rough, impudent blokes. They came here to the country and make a lot of themselves and say there have never been kings or aristocracy here before. But there they are wrong. Here we have had aristocracy, both of the high and the low sort. History, noble titles, heraldic emblems and shields all tell us this. Here there have been kings, dukes, counts, barons, knights, noblefolk, weaponers, virgins, ladies and wives”.
Axel Mowat. A painting from Rosenholm Palace, Denmark. (owner: The National History Museum at Fredriksborg).
Karen Bildt. A painting from Rosenholm Palace, Denmark. (owner: The National History Museum at Fredriksborg).
Bergenhus main region in the middle of the 17th century with some of mentioned the noble estates and monasteries inscribed. The region stretched from Sunnhordland to Romsdal.
Hovland in Tysnes. Here Axel Mowat established his noble estate in 1606. In the background we see Kvinnherad Mountains. There lay Hatteberg estate where Mowat’s son-in-law Ludwig Rosenkrantz built up the barony Rosendal (Photo: Svein Nord).
J.C.Dahl. From Lyse Monastery, 1827. (Oil on canvas, 124 x 174. Photo: Fotograf Henriksen AS/Thor Westrebø, owner: Bergen Billedgalleri (BB 418)).
The coat-of-arms in bannerform on the weapon seal which Anders Mowat of Hugoland (Shetland) used in the proclamation of the king in 1591. (Watercolour: D. E. Ivall, in private ownership).
Damsgård House. Fredrik II gave the farm immune of tax to the Bergen politician Tønnes Klausson who had equipped a ship for the king during the seven Years War (1563-70). Today the building with the main house from 1770-1800 is part of the West Norway Industrial Design Museum. (Photo: Svein Nord).
The coat-of arms of Kristoffer Trondsson Rustung. The coat-of-arms is also used with blue on both sides of the toothed diagonal cross brace. (Watercolour: D. E. Ivall, photo: Ann Steindal, in private privat ownership).