Kungahälla
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Kungahälla (Norwegian: Konghelle) was a medieval Norwegian settlement in southern Bohuslän on what is presently the property of Kastellgården in Kungälv Municipality.
Even though, the Norwegian Kings' sagas talk of Konghelle as a Viking Age settlement, there is no historical evidence that it existed prior to the 12th century. It is however, within the realm of possibility that it existed as a royal estate prior to this century.
According to Snorri Sturluson, it was the location of two important royal summits to conclude peace between Sweden and Norway. The first one was when the two king Olafs, Olaf the Stout of Norway and Olof Skötkonung of Sweden, agreed on a peace treaty, ca 1020. The second one is called the meeting of the three kings, during which the three Scandinavian kings Inge I of Sweden, Magnus Barefoot of Norway and Eric Evergood of Denmark met in Kungahälla in 1101.
In 1135 the town was attacked and sacked by the Wends. Snorri, writing a century later, tells that Konghelle never completely recovered.
The first reliable mention of Konghelle appears in writings by Orderic Vitalis from ca 1135 where he mentiones the it as one of the six Norwegian towns (civitates). The town functioned as a centre of royal authority during the early Middle Ages. Especially during the 13th century, Konghelle functioned as the Norwegian kingdoms most southern outpost, in Haakon IV of Norway's expansion politics.
This was the time when the fort Ragnhildsholmen and a Franciscan monastery were constructed, while the monastery Kastellekloster from the 12th century was being rebuilt.
In the early 14th century, it was the fief of Eric Magnusson of Sweden, the father of Magnus II of Sweden, the future king of Sweden and Norway. After the construction of the stronghold Bohus, later in the early 14th century, Konghelle lost its importance. The town was burnt down in 1612, and was afterwards moved to a location near Bohus, and was renamed Kungälv.
Archaeological excavations have been undertaken from the end of the 19th century (Ragnhildsholmen and the monastery of Kastellklostret) until today. The ruins are open for visitors.
