{{short description|Manor house near Slagelse, Denmark}} {{Infobox building | name = Valbygård | native_name = | image = | image_alt = | caption = | former_names = | alternate_names = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_alt = | map_caption = | building_type = | architectural_style = [[Renaissance Revival architecture|Renaissance Revival]] | structural_system = | cost = | location = [[Slagelse Municipality]] | address = Valbygårdsvej 88B <br/> [[Slagelse|4200 Slagelse]] | client = | owner = | current_tenants = | landlord = | location_country = [[Denmark]] | coordinates = {{coord|55|25|34|N|11|18|20|E|type:landmark_region:DK|display=inline,title}} | altitude = | construction_start_date = | completion_date = 1855 | inauguration_date = | demolished_date = | height = | diameter = | other_dimensions = | floor_count = | floor_area = | main_contractor = | architect = [[Albert Winstrup]] | structural_engineer = | services_engineer = | civil_engineer = | other_designers = | quantity_surveyor = | awards = | url = | references = }} '''Valbygård''' is a manor house and estate located four kilometres northwest of [[Slagelse]], [[Denmark]]. Created by [[Joachim Castenschiold]] in 1874 from land that had previously belonged to [[Antvorskov Abbey]], the estate was in 1846 acquired by [[August Willads Bech]] and has since then remained in the Bech family. The current, [[Renaissance Revival architecture|Renaissance Revival style]] main building was built for August Willads Bech in 1855. It was listed on the [[Listed buildings in Slagelse Municipality|Danish registry of protected buildings and places]] in 1996. The estate covers 1,100 hectares of land.
==History== ===Church property and crown land=== In the Middle Ages the land belonged to [[Antvorskov Abbey]]. The abbey was confiscated by the Crown during the Reformation and Valbygård was then turned into a royal fief. In 1703, [[Frederick VI of Denmark|Frederick]] converted Antvorskov into a countship for his mistress, [[Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg]]. When she shortly thereafter died in labour, Antvorskov was instead turned into a [[rytterskole|cavalry district]].<ref name=DH>{{cite web|url=http://www.danskeherregaarde.dk/nutid/falkensteen|title=Valbygård|language=da|website=danskeherregaarde.dk|access-date=15 February 2019}}</ref>
===Castenschiold and von Stemann=== [[File:Joachim Castenschiold.jpg|thumb|left|160px|[[Joachim Castenschiold]] in 1779]] In 1774, the Antvorskov Cavalry District was divided into nine manors and sold in the auction. One of them, Valbygård, which consisted of land from Wiztøgaard as well as 11 former farms in the villages of Store Valby and Vester Valby, was acquired by [[Joachim Castenschiold|Joachim Melchior Holten Castenschiold]]. In 1776, he sold it to his older brother, Jørgen Frederik Castenschiold. He was a captain in the Crown Prince's Regiment but was in 1780 promoted to colonel and chamberlain. Jørgen Frederik Castenschiold ran into a number of obstacles in the management of his estate. In 1781, he struggled with a lack of animal feed and his livestock population was at the same time hit by decease. In 1783, the harvest failed.<ref name=Kulturstyrelsen>{{cite web|url=https://www.kulturarv.dk/fbb/sagvis.pub?sag=8826593|title=Sag: Valbygård|language=da|website=Kulturstyrelsen|access-date=4 September 2019}}</ref>
[[File:Poul Christian Stemann.jpg|thumb|160px|[[Poul Christian Stemann]] ]] In 1805, Castenschiold sold Valbygård to [[Poul Christian Stemann|Poul Christian von Stemann]]. He had previously owned the small [[Dønnerup|Benzonsdal Manor]] from 1791 to 1800 and was from 1802 responsible for managing the holdings of [[Sorø Academy]]. He had served as ''[[amtmann|amtmand]]'' (prefect) of [[Sorø County]] since 1798 and had shown himself a very industrious, masterful and active local official who attracted the attention of King [[Frederick VI of Denmark|Frederick VI]]. He took a profound interest in the management of his estates as well as the living conditions for the peasants on them. He collaborated with the owner of Bøstrup on draining Bild Lake, thereby increasing the area of his estate.
In 1827, Stemann was appointed President of Danish Chancellery (Home Office) and Minister of Juridical Affairs-
===The Bech family=== [[File:August Willads Bech (1815-1877).jpg|thumb|left|160px|[[August Willads Bech]] ]] In 1846, Poul Christian von Stemann sold Valbygård to [[August Willads Bech]]. In 1855, he also acquired Brorupgaard. Bech was married to Margrethe Rothe (1823–86), a daughter of [[counter admiral]] and former governor of the [[Danish West Indies]] [[Carl Adolph Rothe]]. The old, half-timbered main building was very neglected and Bech, therefore, chose to replace it with a new main building in 1853–1855. The new building was designed by his cousin and close friend, Albert Winstrup (1815–89), who was an architect.
[[File:Valbygaard IllT1860.jpg|thumb|The new main building in 1860]] [[File:Sjælland 14 Valbygaard SØ 1867.jpg|thumb|Valbygård depicted by [[Ferdinand Richardt]] in 1861]] He was like his predecessor also interested and agriculture and also improved the management of the estate. His initiatives included the planting of conifer, beech and oak plantations. In 1866, he arranged two [[agricultural show]]s in [[Sorø]] and [[Præstø]] which raised 55.000 [[Danish rigsdaler]] for wounded soldiers and those left behind by fallen soldiers of the [[Second Schleswig War]]. He created an extensive collection of antiquities from the area and was also the owner of a significant collection of Italian paintings and sculptures.<ref name=DH/>
[[File:Portrait of Jørgen Peter Beck (1843–1909).jpg|160px|thumb|left|Jørgen Peter Beck painted by [[Otto Bache]] in 1909]] August Willads Bech's eldest son, Jørgen Peter Bech, inherited Valbygård after his father's death in 1877. His mother, Margrethe Bech, kept Borupgård until her death in 1886. Jørgen Peter Bech was married to Caroline Charlotte Suhr, a daughter of [[Ole Berendt Suhr (1813–1875)|Ole Berendt Suhr]] and thus a cousin on his mother's side. Bech was director of Den Suhrske Stiftelse from 1893 to 1908.
Jørgen Peter Bech died in 1909 and Valbygård then passed to their son August Villads Bech. August Villads Bech seceded his father as director of Den Suhrske Stiftelse and was also chairman of Sparekassen for Slagelse og Omegn. Valbygård was after August Villads Bech's death passed to his son, Jørgen Peter Bech. August Villads Bech's widow remained on the estate until her death<ref name=DH/>
==Architecture== The two-storey main building is built of building with [[Dutch gable]]s, bay windows and verandas. The bricks were manufactured in the estate's own [[kiln]] from 1847. A library extension was constructed for Jørgen Peter Bech in 1884 at the western gable.<ref name=Kulturstyrelsen/>
==Cultural references== Valbygaard has been used as a location in the film ''[[Slægten]]'' (1978) and ''[[Sort høst]]'' (1993).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://danskefilm.dk/lokation.php?id=766|title=Valdbygård Gods|language=da|publisher=danskefilm.dk|access-date=27 October 2020}}</ref>
==List of owners== * ( –1774) The Crown * (1774–1776) [[Joachim Castenschiold|Joachim Melchior Holten Castenschiold]] * (1776–1805) Jørgen Frederik Castenschiold * (1805–1846) [[Poul Christian Stemann|Poul Christian von Stemann]] * (1846–1877) [[August Willads Bech]] * (1877–1909) Jørgen Peter Bech * (1909–1940) August Villads Bech * (1940–1972) Jørgen Peter Bech * (1972–2007) August Villads Bech * (2007–present) Jørgen Peter Bech
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Slagelse Municipality}}
[[Category:Manor houses in Slagelse Municipality]] [[Category:Listed castles and manor houses in Denmark]] [[Category:Buildings and structures of the Castenschiold family]] [[Category:Houses completed in 1855]]