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Naantali is a town in southwestern Finland, and, as a resort town during the summer, an important tourist centre of the country. The municipality has a population of,[1] and is located in the region of Southwest Finland, west of Turku. The town has a land area of .[2] Most of this area is located on the islands, but the majority of the population lives on the mainland. Most of the islands are covered with forest and farmland, while the mainland consists chiefly of residential areas. [edit] History
One of the oldest towns in Finland, Naantali was founded around the medieval Brigittine convent Vallis gratiae (or Nådendal Abbey), the church of which still dominates its skyline. The charter was signed by King Christopher of Sweden, the then ruler of Finland, in 1443. The convent got trading rights and other privileges, and the town around it began to grow. It also became an important destination for pilgrimage. In the 16th century, as Catholicism gave way to Protestantism as the official religion of Finland, the convent was closed, and the town plunged into a depression. This lasted until the mid-18th century, when the town got a tollgate and a customs chamber. In the two centuries of economic stagnation before that the town had become famous for its knitted stockings, a craft carried on from the times of the convent. The year 1863 saw the founding of the spa at Cape Kalevanniemi, which raised the town's status as a holiday venue. In 1922, the Kultaranta estate on Luonnonmaa was made the official summer residence for the President of the Republic, after Finland had gained its independence five years earlier. The municipalities of Merimasku, Rymättylä and Velkua were consolidated with Naantali on January 1, 2009. The per capita tax income of the town is the second highest of all towns in Finland, and the highest in the province of Southwest Finland. [edit] Research Tips
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