Rosenborg

136 HISTORY OF ROSENBORG CASTLE anywhere else — except perhaps in the Caracci Room in the Palazzo Farnese in Rome, but I do not know that Christian the Fourth can have heard of it. Above both the long side walls (circa 44 m in length) he had large genre paintings or allegories placed close together, leaning forwards, fourteen (?) on each side. Half of these are still in existence (some at Frederiksborg, others at Kronborg); but the ceiling was re­ bu ilt (1705—1707) under Frederik the Fourth w ith white stucco and a few central paintings in order that it might go better — according to the taste of that time — w ith the tapestries that Christian the F ifth had hung on the walls (1698). Not even in this form has the hall been preserved t ill the present day, as the tapestries were a few years ago taken down on account of repairs and never again hung. But what a remarkable effect that collection of paintings on the ceiling must have had upon Christian the Fourth’s con­ temporaries! The Prince of Anha lt, who visited Denmark on his travels (1623) describes it (1). When the last pictures were finished (1624), the king named the castle ROSENBORG, which, poetically paraphra­ sed, means „The House in the Garden“.

Ten years later (1633— 1634) — doubtless on the occasion of the great marriage festivities (1634) — the king commanded his gifted young architect Hans von S te n w in k e ll the younger to build the o c ta g o n a l s t a i r - t o w e r a t th e eas t

(1) See the original German text, reproduced on p. 57.