page_title: Järntorget (Stockholm)
section_title: Middle Ages
hierarchical_section_title: Järntorget (Stockholm) / History / Middle Ages
caption_attribution_description: Detail from Vädersolstavlan showing southern part of w:Gamla stan (including w:Järntorget, Stockholm, w:Södra Bankohuset, and the Blackfriars monastery (with a ridge turret).
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: Originally called Korntorget ("Grain Square"), the square is first mentioned as Järntorget in 1489, both names being used in parallel until 1513 when iron trade had surpassed corn trade in importance.  Controlling and putting a charge on the trade meant an important source of income for both the city and the king, and at least from the mid 14th century the city's official scales were located by the southern square on Number 84.  Except iron, Sweden exported copper, silver, hide, fur, train oil, salmon, and butter, while importing salt, broadcloth, beer, wine, and luxury items such as spice, glass, and ceramics.  During the Middle Ages, the surrounding area was dominated by German merchants, a situation over the century balanced by people from the British Isles, France, and the Netherlands.  In medieval times, the square was considerably larger than today. The blocks on the eastern side were aligned to a discontinued alley passing through the blocks south-east of the square (on the left side of Järntorgsgatan), and the square thus encompassed at least half of the present area today occupied by these blocks.  In the 16th century sheds were constructed along the eastern side of the square.
caption: Detail from Vädersolstavlan showing the area in 1535.  Järntorget is the small open space in the centre.
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