Turku Castle ( Finnish : Turun linna , Swedish : Åbo slott ) is a medieval structure in the city of Turku , Finland . Together with Turku Cathedral , the castle is one of the oldest buildings still in use in Finland. It is also the largest surviving medieval building in Finland. It was founded in the late 13th century and stands on the banks of the Aura River . The castle served as a bastion and administrative center in the region of Finland until the early 19th century. It played a role in power struggles within Sweden and the Kalmar Union and stood sieges, with additional battles fought outside its walls. The castle was at its peak in the mid-16th century during the reign of Duke John of Finland and Catherine Jagellon . It lost its status as an administrative center in the 17th century, after Per Brahe's period as governor-general of Finland came to an end. Turku Castle is Finland's most visited museum. Visitations reach well over 100,000 people annually. Some of the rooms in the castle are used for municipal functions.
27-468: The castle was the center of the historical province of Finland Proper , and the administrative center of all of Finland. The construction of the fort began at around the year 1280. Swedes stationed in the region constructed it as a military fortress and outpost. The fort's defenses were bolstered and living quarters constructed during the following two centuries. The castle served as a defensive structure and administrative center in Österland , which
54-484: A garden room, banquet hall or inside such as the small banqueting turrets in Longleat House . Art historians have often noted that banqueters on iconographic records of ancient Mediterranean societies almost always appear to be lying down on their left sides. One possible explanation could lie in the anatomy of the stomach and in the digestive mechanism. When lying on the left, the food has room to expand because
81-612: A host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes include a charitable gathering, a ceremony, or a celebration . They often involve speeches in honor of the topic or guest of honour. The older English term for a lavish meal was feast , and "banquet" originally meant a specific and different kind of meal, often following a feast, but in a different room or even building, which concentrated on sweet foods of various kinds . These became highly fashionable as sugar became much more common in Europe at
108-459: A joint effort in which families or communities bring equivalent contributions together to reinforce the social ties of all concerned. Promotional feasts are intended to enhance the social status of the host, who provides the food in order to create obligations to themselves among the guests. Communal feasting is evidenced from the early Neolithic in Britain. In Ancient Greece , symposia formed
135-602: A routine part of life, involving the celebratory drinking of wine, conversation and performances of poetry and music. Notable historical and legendary examples of banquets include Belshazzar's Feast , the Last Supper , the Manchu Han Imperial Feast , and mead halls . A luau is one variety of traditional banquet originally used in Hawaii. Many cultures have developed structures for banquets. In
162-429: The banquet rooms and a church for the local congregation. The castle courtyard hosts a restaurant and a souvenir shop. Turku castle is one of Finland's most visited historical attractions and museums. Entrance to the inner castle is not free, but they sell tickets at a lower price to pensioners, children, and the unemployed. The tickets cost under 20€, as of summer 2024. There is a public park with benches surrounding
189-536: The national awakening in the 19th century. Such as in Zacharias Topelius ' Maamme , where the Finnish tribes based on historical provinces and their perceived stereotypes played a central role in the book. At the funeral of King Gustav Vasa in 1560, the coats of arms for the provinces were displayed together for the first time and several of them had been granted for that particular occasion. After
216-644: The slottslän ( linnalääni ) of the Middle Ages . The historical provinces ceased to be administrative entities in 1634 when they were superseded by the counties , a reform which remained in force in Finland until 1997. The historical provinces remain as a tradition, but have no administrative function today. The first name in the parentheses is the Finnish name and the second is the Swedish one. Most of
243-638: The Baltic Sea. In Paulus Juusten's episcopal chronicle, it is said that at the turn of the 15th century, pirates were causing havoc in and around the Turku archipelago. They looted the Turku Cathedral , a historical building in the center of Turku, also on the Aura river. It is on the opposite side of the town away from the sea. The cathedral is open for guided tours and unguided visitations. The castle
270-495: The European Middle Ages , comprehensive ritualised elements were involved in a traditional three-course menu, having up to 25 dishes in each course (this structure persisted into the 19th century). The structure was later altered to two courses, with the pre-existing third course changed to the serving of fruit and nuts. Banqueting rooms varied greatly with location, but tended to be on an intimate scale, either in
297-406: The Swedish coats of arms. The coats of arms of the historical provinces have served as a basis for the arms of the current administrative divisions, the regions of Finland . Banquet A banquet ( / ˈ b æ ŋ k w ɪ t / ; French: [bɑ̃kɛ] ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of
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#1732772182017324-495: The castle and the castle itself are featured in many Finnish films like the adventure film Sadan miekan mies from 1951, directed by Ilmari Unho , and a drama film The Girl King from 2015, directed by Mika Kaurismäki . Historical provinces of Finland The historical provinces ( Finnish : historialliset maakunnat , singular historiallinen maakunta , Swedish : historiska landskap ) are former administrative or cultural areas of Finland , with origins from
351-637: The castle. The layout of the castle consists of the Medieval keep ( päälinna ) and the Renaissance bailey ( esilinna ). The keep consists of a square fort, with two square gateway towers. The walls are 5 metres (16 ft) at the base. In the Middle Ages the castle was surrounded by a moat , conjoining it with the River Aura . The castle was basically an island. The keep was finalized in
378-500: The castle. Various castellans, bailiffs, military commanders, governors who held Turku Castle in the Middle Ages: The Turku Castle is the setting for the fairy tale The Tomten in Åbo Castle , written by Zachris Topelius in 1849. Turku Castle was badly damaged during the time the story was written. Following the release of the fairy tale, there were calls for the restoration of the castle. The walls of
405-484: The curvature of the stomach is enhanced in that position. Contemporary banquets serve many new purposes in addition to their traditional purposes. These can include anything from during workplace training sessions and formal business dinners to birthday parties and social gatherings. It is common for a banquet to be organized at the end of academic conferences. The State Council of the People's Republic of China levied
432-422: The early 15th century. Construction of the bailey began in the late 15th century. It was finished in the 16th century. The bailey is not as fortified as the keep, but it boasts several turrets . The Renaissance construction work included heavy modifications of nearly all the rooms in the old part of the castle. Since the Renaissance, no additions have been made to the main structur, or functionality and appearance of
459-718: The end of the 19th century. During the Finnish War between Sweden and Russia (1808-1809), the castle was used by the Russian Navy. It was later handed back to the Finnish regional authorities, as the Grand Duchy of Finland was granted larger autonomy by the Tzar of Russia. In 1881, the Turku Historical Museum gained control of the castle. Finland gained full independence at the end of 1917, and thus
486-668: The historical provinces are defined by slottslän ( linnalääni ) , which was an administrative system established by Birger Jarl and King Magnus III of Sweden . The historical provinces which can be defined by slottslän are Åland ( Kastelholm [ fi ] ), Finland Proper ( Turku [ fi ] ), Satakunta ( Kokemäenkartano [ fi ] ), Uusimaa ( Raseborg [ fi ] and Porvoo [ fi ] ), Karelia ( Viipuri [ fi ] ), Häme ( Hämeenlinna [ fi ] ), Ostrobothnia ( Korsholm [ fi ] ) and Savo ( Savonlinna [ fi ] ). The administrative system
513-691: The republic of Finland gained ownership of the castle. The renovation of the castle began before the start of the Second World War . As Finland was drawn into conflict in the Winter War (1939), and then the Continuation War (1941 to 1944), the renovation project was halted. The renovation was continued after the wars ended. The castle was damaged during the Continuation War by Soviet incendiary bombardment. The castle
540-467: The separation of Finland from Sweden in 1809 the traditions for the provincial arms have somewhat diverged. Finland maintains the distinction between ducal and comital dignity shown in the coronets for arms of the historical provinces, while all the Swedish provinces have carried the Swedish style ducal coronet since 1884. The division of Lapland also necessitated a distinction between the Finnish and
567-584: The southeast corner of the castle. These were the last additions to the main structure of the castle, and all work on the castle since then has focused on repairs and reconstruction. In the short period between 1395 to 1398, Turku Castle may have been used as a base of operations by the Victual Brothers , a band of privateers turned pirates, invited there by the chief of the castle, Knut Bosson Grip [ fi ] due to some larger international political intrigue and allegiances concerning trade in
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#1732772182017594-476: The start of the 16th century. It was a grand form of the dessert course, and special banqueting houses , often on the roof or in the grounds of large houses, were built for them. Such meals are also called a "sugar collation". Banquets feature luxury foods, often including animal meat. Feasts can be divided into two fundamental types: solidarity (or alliance, or empowering) and promotional (or aggrandisive, competitive, or diacritical). Solidarity feasts are
621-614: Was at its peak in the mid-16th century, during the reign of Duke John of Finland and Catherine Jagellon . They constructed the Renaissance Floor and the King's and Queen's hall, along with some other new features. In 1573 to 1577, the deposed Swedish Queen Karin Månsdotter was kept prisoner there. In 1614, a great fire destroyed the wooden structures of the old parts of the castle almost completely. King Gustav II Adolf
648-466: Was at the castle for a visit. After the fire, the main castle structure was largely abandoned and used as storage. In the 18th century, the Renaissance bailey functioned as an administrative center, with the old main structure abandoned and in disrepair. The castle housed the provincial government after a period of turmoil called the Greater Wrath . The castle was used as a prison from the 18th to
675-532: Was fully restored in 1987. Responsibility over the now restored castle was handed over to the City of Turku on October 12, 1993. The city is currently entrusted with all Turku Castle related events and administration, on behalf of the government of Finland. Since then, the castle has been a historical museum and it functions as part of the Turku Provincial Museum. The old part of the castle holds
702-419: Was replaced in 1634, when the historical provinces and slottslän were replaced by provinces . Even after this, names of the historical provinces were used for the names of the counties, and also as the basis for the territorial definition of the counties. The old symbols of the historical provinces continued to exist in the coats of arms of the counties. The historical provinces gained a new meaning as part of
729-410: Was the name of the region known today as Finland, until the end of the 15th century. The main part of the castle was extended considerably during the 16th century, after Gustav Vasa had ascended to the Swedish throne. His son, John III of Sweden , was the head of the administration and duke of Finland at that time. The castle was generally improved during this time, with an addition of a round tower at
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