The Garden Pavilion and the Upper Park


Carl Diedric Hamilton had the upper park (övre parken) laid out in honour of his second wife, Sofia Hamilton (born Beckman). This is why the letter “S” adorns the gates of the garden pavilion.

During the latter part of the 18th century and the first part of the 19th century, Romantic gardens and English parks came into fashion in Sweden. Instead of right-angled designs, which were previously preferred, leafy parks with winding paths, ponds, arch bridges, Chinese pavilions, Turkish gazebos and even temples were constructed. Boo was no exception to this grand fashion of the times, and in 1834 the garden pavilion was built in this style.

The Swedish poet Karl August Nicander, who often is associated with Boo estate, was a fellow student of Hugo Adolf Hamilton in Uppsala. It is said that Nicander used to sit right here in the pavilion and write his poetry.

During his time at Boo, Nicander courted a relative of the Hamiltons named Virginie Sanne, who was living close by, at the Boskulla manor. The story goes that Karl August Nicander and Virginie Sanne were seen picking lilies of the valley together at Lindhults äng (the meadow of Lindhult). Perhaps this was the beginning of an incipient love story? At the time this would have been an impossible match, and as a consequence, Nicander moved to Stockholm where he died in 1839. Virginie Sanne died in 1840 and was buried at the Boo church cemetery.