Torstenson Palace

The Torstenson Palace is a building on Södra Hamngatan in Gothenburg, also known as Kungshuset ('the King's House') because it was formerly the Swedish king's residence in Gothenburg. It is currently the residence and offices of the landshövding of Västra Götaland County. The building was originally constructed in the years 1648–1650 for Count Lennart Torstenson, but was bought by Karl X Gustav in September 1657 and served as his residence during the 1658 and 1660 sessions of the Riksdag of the Estates (Swedish Parliament), which were held in Gothenburg. It later became the seat of the landshövding of Gothenburg and Bohus County, and has remained the seat of the county administration ever since, and of the wider Västra Götaland County since its creation in 1998. The first landshövding to reside at the palace was Erik Carlsson Sjöblad. The palace is Gothenburg's oldest residential building, and has been recognised as a byggnadsminne (listed building) since 25 January 1935. The building's most famous role in recent years was as the venue for the 2001 meeting of the European Council.