Ørland

Ørland lies on the northern side of the entrance to Trondheimsfjord. Near its shore stands Austrått, an ancient estate with farmland, woodland and a sheltered harbour. Its position opposite the headland of Agdenes placed it beside an important approach to the fjord, and the estate became the seat of families prominent in Norwegian affairs.

In the sixteenth century Ingerd Ottesdatter held Austrått and amassed extensive property, including lands formerly belonging to the Church. The estate later passed to the Bjelke family. Ove Bjelke, chancellor of Norway, transformed the buildings into an imposing Renaissance manor in the seventeenth century. Its enclosed courtyard, decorated columns and private chapel expressed the wealth and standing of a family whose lands extended well beyond Ørland.