Skaføgård


Skaføgård is a manor house in the parish of Hvilsager in Syddjurs Municipality in the eastern Jutland peninsula of Djursland, Denmark. It is not one of Denmark's largest manor-houses, but one of the best preserved. Inside there is an enormous oak closet carved by the Dutch carpenter Mikkel van Gronningen whose most famous work is the pulpit in Århus Cathedral. The closet covers of wall space and, in view of its rich detail, is considered to be one of the most outstanding examples of carved wooden Renaissance furniture in Northern Europe.

History

Skaføgård was built around 1580 by Danish nobleman Jørgen Rosenkrantz who had two sons: Otto Rosenkrantz and Holger Rosenkrantz. As soon as he was able, he built a manor for both of them: Skaføgård and Rosenholm in 1559. Unfortunately Otto died early, after which Skaføgård became a dower house for Jørgen's wife, Dorthe Lange, until her death in 1613. After this the estate was handed over to the son Holger. His son Gunde Rosenkrantz had to sell it in 1647 because of poor finances. After that the estate often changed hands in the following century.
One of the later owners was Jacob Brønnum Scavenius Estrup who acquired it in 1852. His descendants still own Skaføgård.

Owners