Tag Archives: Sigtuna

Not far from the main street of Sigtuna, Sweden lies St. Olov’s Kirkoruin, the ruins of a 13th Century Benedictine Monastery. A cemetery, including a mausoleum, lies adjacent to the ruins. Legend says that the mausoleum was built to inter an old woman who demanded that after she was interred there, the door should be locked and the key tossed through a hole in the structure so that visitors could not enter and she could rest in peace. The Mariakyrkan, or Maria Church, is also adjacent to the ruins, cemetery, and mausoleum. It is the oldest building in Sigtuna still in use, also dating from the 13th century. Inside the church is a beautiful painting entitled “Getsemane” by Bror Hjorth (1940). Continue reading →

North of Stockholm lies the town of Sigtuna, the oldest medieval village in Sweden, founded around 790 AD. The town hall dates from 1744. Visitors are told that, at one time, the residents of Sigtuna all knew that a key to the town hall was hidden behind one of the shutters. On occasion, if someone had too much to drink and was reluctant to deal with his wife’s scolding for getting drunk, he would let himself into the town hall to sleep it off and then face his wife in the morning. Continue reading →