Sigtuna

Sigtuna
Ceety
Stora Gatan in Sigtuna
Sigtuna
Coordinates: 59°37′N 17°43′E
Kintra	Swaden
Province	Uppland
Coonty	Stockholm Coonty
Municipality	Sigtuna Municipality
Area
• Total	3.95 km2 (1.53 sq mi)
Population  (2005-12-31)
• Total	7,204
• Density	1824/km2 (4,720/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)

Sigtuna is a locality situatit in Sigtuna Municipality, Stockholm Coonty, Swaden wi 7,204 inhabitants in 2005. It is the namesake o the municipality even though the seat is in Märsta.

Sigtuna is, despite its sma population, for historical reasons aften still referred tae as a ceety. Statistics Swaden, housomeivver, anerlie coonts localities wi mair nor 10,000 inhabitants as ceeties.

Although less significant the day, Sigtuna haes an important place in Swaden's early history. It is the auldest ceety in Swaden, haein been formed in 980. The history o Sigtuna afore the 11t century, as describit in the Norse sagas an ither early medieval sources, can be foond in the airticle Auld Sigtuna.

Geography

Sigtuna is situatit at the bay Skarven, stretchin aroond Upplands-Bro an a pairt o Lake Mälaren.

History

Kirk ruins in Sigtuna

Sigtuna wis foondit on wha wis then the shore o Lake Mälaren in the year 980 bi King Eric the Victorious. It teuk its name frae an auncient ryal estate (see Uppsala öd) several kilometers tae the wast (see Fornsigtuna).

It operatit as a ryal an commercial centre for some 250 years, an wis ane o the maist important ceeties o Sweden. Durin a brief period at the end o the 10t an beginnin o the 11t century, Swaden's first coins were mintit here. The auld kirk built in the 13t century bi the Dominican order at the monastery still remains, an haes haed few restorations. The Dominican monastery played an important role in the Swadish Middle Ages an produced mony important Kirk offeecials. Amang them, mony Swadish archbishops. Mony kirk an monastery ruins still staund, an the auld ceety structure haes no been remodeled, as happened in mony Swadish ceeties durin the 19t an 20t centuries.

Auld Ceety Hall

In 1187 Sigtuna wis attacked bi pagan raiders, frae Oesel an Courland. Accordin tae the airchaeologist Sten Tesch, excavations hae no verifee'd the traditions o destruction o the toun. Sigtuna grew an prospered, but aroond the year 1300 it wis surpassed in significance bi Stockholm an Uppsala, an remained as a sma toun.

Sigtuna as it leukit aroond 1700. Engravin frae Suecia Antiqua et Hodierna.

The current coat o airms can be traced tae the ceety's first kent seal, datin frae 1311. Accordin tae a legend (possibly inspired bi the ceety airms) Sigtuna wis ance the Ryal seat, but this can no be confirmed. The croun mey an aa seembolize the lairge ryal mint which wis locatit in the ceety. The coat o airms is syne 1971 valid for the hintle lairger Sigtuna Municipality.

In the late 19t century, it still anerlie hostit aboot 600 fowk, an wis the smawest ceety in Swaden. The ceety remained insignificant til the seicont hauf o the 20t century. Hintle o the population growth can be relatit tae Arlanda Airport, situatit some 10 km frae Sigtuna.

See an aw

• Sigtunaskolan Humanistiska Läroverket, a famous buirdin schuil.
• The replica o the Swadish ceety o Sigtuna in Shanghai, panoramio photos o the replica Archived 2011-05-19 at the Wayback Machine

References

• (in Swadish) article Sigtuna frae Nordisk familjebok

Freemit airtins

• Sigtuna Municipality - Offeecial steid

Sigtuna is ane o 133 places wi the historical ceety status in Swaden.