Nordmandsdalen, Sculpture garden in Fredensborg Castle, Denmark
Nordmandsdalen is a sculpture garden at Fredensborg Castle featuring 70 sandstone figures arranged in three terraces around a central pillar topped with a golden sphere. The figures stand on stone bases and form an amphitheater-like layout.
King Frederik V commissioned these sandstone figures between 1764 and 1784 when Denmark and Norway shared a single monarchy. The collection was created as an artistic expression of the royal connection to Nordic peoples.
The figures depict Norwegian and Faroese farmers and fishermen going about their daily work. They show how people dressed and lived in these northern regions during the 18th century.
The garden is open year-round in the public grounds section of the castle and can be explored at your own pace. There is plenty of space to walk between the figures, and the terrain is mostly level, allowing easy movement.
A Norwegian postman named Jørgen Christensen Garnaas carved ivory models based on small wooden dolls he created while observing people on his postal routes in Bergen. His personal collection later became the basis for the large stone sculptures displayed here today.
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