Gunnebo House and Gardens
A magnificently well maintained 18th-century timber building and grounds in a rural setting. The gardens are superb, with avenues of trees, hedges and a surrounding landscape park.
You may see the well-preserved interiors of the House with a guided tour.
The Gunnebo Coffee House and Restaurant features recreated period interiors.
HISTORY OF THE ESTATE
In 1778 the merchant and business man John Hall (1735-1802) bought the estate to have a private summer house built there. The Gothenburg city architect Carl Wilhelm Carlberg was commissioned to design everything from the main building and its furnishings to the gardens and utility buildings.
THE EARLY HISTORY OF GUNNEBO
The oldest documentation of the name Gunnebo is in a register of church properties in the late 14th century. It is mentioned in Latin as 'Gunnebodum' and 'Gunnebodher'. 'Gunne' may come from the ancient Nordic christian name Gun or Gunnar. 'Bo' can be translated as 'settlement'.
THE GUNNEBO SUMMER VILLA
When the architect Carlberg designed Gunnebo, he had just returned from a long journey abroad and was teeming with ideas inspired by the neoclassical currents outside Sweden. He was particularly influenced by the renaissance architect Andrea Palladio and his trendsetting villas outside Vicenza and Verona in Italy. Once completed, many of the renowned names of the day, both royal and revolutionary, artists and politicians, voiced their admiration for the scenic surroundings at Gunnebo and the pure classical architecture. Everything that is seen today at Gunnebo is designed by Carlberg and Gunnebo is one of Sweden's best examples of neoclassical architecture.
THE SAD END OF THE HALL FAMILY
The Hall family lived at Gunnebo during summers for just a few years. John Hall died in 1802 and the Bohemian son, John Hall Junior, inherited Gunnebo. He was a talented artist, but did not inherit his father's head for business. His inability to manage the Hall trading house in conjunction with rapidly changing market trends led to the trading house going bankrupt in 1807. On the part of Gunnebo, years followed when the estate fell into disrepair due to a lack of upkeep. The main building, the farm buildings and the gardens were in a miserable state when the estate was auctioned out in 1832.
THE LAST PRIVATE OWNERS
After several different owners throughout the 19th century, the estate came into the hands of Baron Carl Sparre and his wife Hilda. When Hilda passed away in 1948, Gunnebo was bought by the City of Mölndal. The House was renovated in 1949-1952, guided by the information supplied by inventories and architect Carlberg's surviving original design plans. A total of 200 design plans for both the main building with furnishings and the gardens and the farm buildings makes a unique treasure. They make restoration and reconstruction possible today.
GUIDED TOURS OF THE HOUSE
The remarkable history of the Hall family and the ideas of Carlberg is told during guided tours of the house. Tours are given every day during summers and Sundays during winter. You may not visit the house without a guide. Tickets are purchased at the gift shop.