Sigtuna[a] is alocality situated in the eponymousSigtuna Municipality, inStockholm County,Sweden with 9,689 inhabitants in 2020.[1] It is the namesake even though the seat of the municipality is in another locality,Märsta.Sigtuna is for historical reasons still often referred to as astad.
Sigtuna is situated at the bay Skarven, stretching aroundUpplands-Bro and a part ofLake Mälaren. Present-day Sigtuna, a harbour town that was established around 980, developed about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) east ofOld Sigtuna, which, according toOld Norse religion, was previously the home of the widely revered godOdin.[3]
The name of Sigtuna was moved from what is presently calledSignhildsberg. The meaning ofSigtuna is contested. According to one theory, it is acompound name where the second element is -tuna and the first one is either of two closely related dialectal words, viz.sig meaning "seeping water" or "swamp" orsik meaning "swamp". As a basis for this interpretation, a brook south of Signhildsberg has been mentioned, or the fact that the estate was surrounded by marshy terrain.[4]
Sigtuna was founded on what was then the shore of Lake Mälaren just over 1,000 years ago. It took its name from an ancient royal estate (seeUppsala öd) several kilometers to the west (seeFornsigtuna). Various sources claim KingEric the Victorious as founder while others claim KingOlof Skötkonung.[6]
It operated as a royal and commercial centre for some 250 years, and was one of the most important cities of Sweden. During a brief period at the end of the 10th and beginning of the 11th century, Sweden's first coins were minted here.St. Mary's Church, built in the 13th century by theDominican order as a monastery church, still remains largely intact. The Dominican monastery played an important role in the Swedish Middle Ages and produced many important church officials, among them manySwedish archbishops. Many church and monastery ruins still stand, including St. Pers Church (S:t Pers kyrkoruin) dating the 1100s, St. Olof Church (S:t Olofs kyrkoruin) dated from around the middle of the 11th century, and St. Lars Church (S:t Lars kyrkoruin) dating from the middle of the 13th century.[7]
The currentcoat of arms can be traced to the town's first knownseal, dating from 1311. According to a legend (possibly inspired by the town arms), Sigtuna was once the Royal seat, but this cannot be confirmed. The crown may also symbolize the large royalmint which was located in the town. Since 1971 the coat of arms has been valid for the much largerSigtuna Municipality.
In the late 19th century Sigtuna still hosted only about 600 people, and was the smallest town in Sweden. The town remained insignificant until the second half of the 20th century. Much of the population growth can be related toStockholm Arlanda Airport (IATA: ARN), situated some 10 km from Sigtuna.[11]
Sigtuna has a medieval-style town centre with restaurants, cafes and small shops. The old church ruins, Vikingrunestones and the old main street (Stora gatan) are popular attractions for tourists, especially in the summertime. The small streets with low-built wooden houses lead up to several handicrafts shops and the old tiny town hall (Sigtuna Rådhus). There are restaurants andSigtuna Stadshotell, a hotel in the town centre.[12]
^Barbara Højlund & Frederik Schildt Nabe-Nielsen."Sigtuna in Sweden". vikingeskibsmuseet.dk. RetrievedDecember 1, 2018.
^"Sigtuna". stockholmslansmuseum.se. Archived fromthe original on October 1, 2023. RetrievedDecember 1, 2018.
^"Till frågan om Sigtunascombustering år 1187""Archived copy"(PDF).Archived(PDF) from the original on 2012-04-26. Retrieved2011-12-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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