page_title: Järntorget (Stockholm)
section_title: Great Power Era
hierarchical_section_title: Järntorget (Stockholm) / History / Great Power Era
caption_attribution_description: From this PDF, original from Suecia Antiqua et Hodierna, mid 17th century.Södra Bancohuset, Gamla stan, Stockholm. På kopparsticket av Willem Swidde år 1691, ur Erik Dahlberghs "Suecia antiqua et hodierna", dominerar Tessins ståtliga bankohus i fonden. På huset till höger syns Blå Örnens krogskylt, enligt Stockholms stadsmuseum.
context_page_description: Järntorget is a small public square in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Located in the southernmost corner of the old town, the square connects the thoroughfares Västerlånggatan and Österlånggatan, while the two alleys, Södra Bankogränd and Norra Bankogränd, stretches east to connect the square to Skeppsbron, and two other alleys, Järntorgsgatan and Triewaldsgränd, leads south to Slussplan and Kornhamnstorg respectively.
  The second oldest square in Stockholm, slightly younger than Stortorget, Järntorget dates back to around 1300 and remained the city's most important trade centre for centuries — constantly busy and crowded, scents and noise intermixing while goods were transported from shore to shore across the square and up and down the attics of the surrounding buildings.
context_section_description: In the early 17th century, numerous taverns were located around the square, the signs of which being referred to as The Blue Eagle, The Lion, The Griffin, Three Crowns, The Moon, The Sun, The Star, and The Scales.  The city's official scales were relocated to Södermalm in 1662 and the entire area around the square underwent a transformation as wealthy people had taller and more prestigious buildings erected over merged lots.  The development was actively supported by the king who wanted the capital to be more representative, the medieval buildings thus disappearing together with medieval alleys.  The development was further promoted by the construction of Södra Bankohuset, the national bank building on number 84 in 1680.  The building, originally designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder, was subsequently enlarged eastward to the design of other architects, and the lot north of it was purchased for the construction of the northern bank building, Norra Bankohuset.  The building remained the headquarters of the Bank of Sweden until the early 20th century.
caption: A mid 17th century depiction of the square from Suecia Antiqua et Hodierna.
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