Arnarhóll Arnarhólstraðir
(English side:)
The old farmstead of Arnarhóll stood on the knoll of the same name, where the statue of Ingólfur Arnarson, Iceland's first settler, now stands. The farm is believed to have been founded shortly after the settlement of Iceland (around 870 AD). The oldest relics unearthed during archaeological excavation of the site in 1995 dated from the 12th to 13th century. But the excavation did not include all of the knoll, and hence further research may be expected to reveal older structures. When the jailhouse (now Government House) was built at the south of the Arnarhóll grassfield in 1759-64, the land of the estate was made over to the jail, and the farmhouse fell into disrepair. It was demolished in 1828. The Arnarhóll farm has left some traces in the landscape of the knoll: relics of buildings, and the old Arnarhóll Lane, now overgrown with grass, on the south side of the hill.
In olden times Iceland's only transport network comprised lanes between farms. Well into the 19th century, the main route to the east in and out of Reykjavík lay along the sea shore (now Hafnarstræti), across the mouth of Arnarhólslækur
(Arnarhóll Brook, or simply "the Brook"), and up Arnarhóll Lane onto Arnarhóll. It then meandered across Arnarhólsholt (later Skólavöraðholt) hill, and passed along Öskuhlíð hill, where it forked. One lane led southwards to Hafnarfjörður, the other along Bústaðaholt ridge to the farm of Bústaðir, and on to the ford across the Elliðáar river. Arnarhóll Brook was often difficult to cross, until it was bridged at the end of the 18th century. In the 1830s Arnarhóll Lane was abandoned, after which the route out of Reykjavík passed via Bakarabrekka (now Bankastræti) and Laugavegur. At that time the official residence of the governor of Iceland was in the former jailhouse (now Government House). The governor had use of the Arnarhóll land, and refused to allow public traffic across his estate.-
Þar sem styttan af landnámsmanninum Ingólfi Arnarsyni stendur nú voru áður bæjarhús býlisins Arnarhóls. Talið er að býlið hafi verið reist skömmu eftir landnám á 9. öld. Elstu minjar sem komu í ljós við fornleifarannsókn á staðnum árið 1995 voru frá 12.-13. öld. Höllinn var þö ekki fullkannaður og því má búast við eldri minjum hér via frekari rannsóknir. Arnarhólsjörðin var löga undir rekstur tukthússins sem var byggt syðst í Arnarhólstúni á árunum 1759-1764 (nú Stjórnarráðið). Við það för bærinn mikla niðurníðslu og var að lokum rifinn
Vegakerfi fyrri alda voru slóðar eða götur sem lágu á milli bæja. Allt fram á 19. öld lá aðalvegurinn eða þjóðvegurinn austur úr Reykjavík eftir fjörunni þar sem í dag er Hafnarstræti, siðan yfir ós Arnarhólslækjar („Lækjarins") og upp Arnarhólinn um Arnarhólstraðirnar. Þaðan lá vegurinn í ótal hlykkjum yfir Arnarhólsholt, sem siðar var nefnt Skólavörðuholt. Vegurinn lá siðan utan í Öskjuhlíðinni en skiptist þar og lá önnur leiðin til Hafnarfjarðar en hin eftir Bústaðaholti til Bústaða og þaðan að vaðinu yfir Elliðaárnar. Arnarhólslækurinn var oft illur yfirferðar en var brúaður fyrir 1800. Leiðin um Arnarhólstraðir lagðist af upp úr 1830 og færðist þjóðvegurinn þá yfir í Bakarabrekkuna (nú Bankastræti) og Laugaveg. Þá hafði stiftamtmaður afnot af landi Arnarhóls og vildi ekki hafa umferðina í gegnum túnið hjá sér. Bústaður stiftamtmanns var þá í gamla tukthúsinu sem í dag hýsir Stjórnarráðið.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1995.
Location. 64° 8.854′ N, 21° 55.999′ W. Marker is in Reykjavík, Capital Region (Höfuðborgarsvæðið), in Reykjavíkurborg. It is in Downtown.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Arnarhólstraðir / The Arnar Hill Path (a few steps from this marker); Ingólfur Arnarson (within shouting distance of this marker); Dr. Gunnlaugur Clæssen (within shouting distance of this marker); The Culture House / Safnahúsið (within shouting distance of this marker); Forsætisráðuneytið / Prime Minister's Office (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); Laugavegur (about 120 meters away); Bankastræti 10 (about 120 meters away); Bernhöftshús (about 150 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Reykjavík.
More about this marker. The marker is located in Arnarhóll park, about halfway up the hill along the path that leads from the Hverfisgata to the Arnarson statue.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 3, 2018. It was originally submitted on September 3, 2018, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 161 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 3, 2018, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.