The royal residence Stiftsgarden in Trondheim is the largest wooden villa with a beautiful royal garden and a small fountain. Today, it serves to accommodate the royal family when visiting the city. The building is imposing and shows architecture from the 18th century. It was built between 1774 and 1778 for Cecilia Christine Schøller, the ambitious widow of chamberlain Stie Tønsberg Schøller. It was built by her advisor. Lady Schøller was a representative of the cultural and commercial growth of Trondheim at the end of the 18th century and an example of a prominent social elite in the city.
It was built in baroque-classical style, but the palace has elements of rococo and neoclassicism. The facade is characterized by neoclassicism, while Rococo is expressed in detail. The interior of the palace is enchanting, and the architects and artists who worked on it remain unknown. With a size of 4000 m2, with over 100 rooms, it makes it the largest palace in northern Europe.
After Lady Schølleroften died in 1786, her family inherited the palace. However, it was not owned by them for a long time because financial problems followed. For that reason, they decided to sell the palace to the state in 1800. Since then, the palace has been used by the governor of the region and the royal family during visits to Trondheim. From 1906, the palace became the official royal residence in Trondheim, and since then it has been used exclusively by the royal family.
The palace was also used for certain royal ceremonies, such as coronations, weddings and birthdays, even in recent times.
Kings crowned in the palace:
