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5 unusual facts about Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie


André Mollet

In the autumn of 1646, a Swedish delegation arrived in Paris, led by Christina's favourite, the connoisseur Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie, who was so pleased with recent French developments in the art of gardens that he engaged André Mollet for the queen on the spot.

Codex Argenteus

In the 1660s, it was bought and taken to Uppsala University by count Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie, who also provided its present lavishly decorated binding.

Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie

In 1674, the Italian diplomat Lorenzo Magalotti estimated that De la Gardie had at least 50 on-going projects in Sweden and its provinces, excluding the 37 churches he was constructing or repairing at the time.

It was brought to Sweden the first time in 1648, but Isaac Vossius, a Dutch librarian of Queen Christina took it to his home town.

Ulriksdal Palace

He later passed on to his son, Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie, from whom it was purchased in 1669 by Queen Hedvig Eleonora.


De la Gardie

Pontus De la Gardie's second son, Jacob De la Gardie, was given the title count of Läckö in 1615 and his son Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie became favourite of Queen Kristina and married her cousin, Countess Palatine Maria Eufrosyne of Zweibrücken (sister to Charles X Gustav of Sweden).


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