WIP · World in Pocket

Folkungabrunnen

Linköping, Italy

Folkungabrunnen

Folkungabrunnen (lit. 'The Folkung Fountain') is a fountain at Stora torget in Linköping, Sweden. Designed by the sculptor Carl Milles, it has a rectangular basin where the outsides are covered with reliefs showing subjects from the history of Östergötland. At the centre is an equestrian bronze stat

ue of Folke Filbyter, the semi-legendary progenitor of the medieval Folkung dynasty, as he is portrayed in the 1905 novel Folke Filbyter by Verner von Heidenstam. Milles depicted a moment from the novel where the aged Folke searches for his lost grandchild and his horse slides on slippery stones while crossing a brook. The monument was primarily financed by Henric Westman. It was inaugurated on 12 December 1927 in the presence of Westman, Milles, Heidenstam and a large crowd of local residents. The statue of the strange-looking man on a skinny horse initially caused controversy. Critics were negative to having a statue in such a grotesque style on Linköping's most important square, and thought it was ill-fitting to showcase an unhealthy horse in a province famous in Sweden for its horse breeding. Over time, Folkungabrunnen became popular among Linköping's residents and has become a symbol...

Listen to the audio guide for Folkungabrunnen Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off

Nearby