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Founded: 1550Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Finland
Historical period: Reformation (Finland)
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The first record of Suitia (Svidja) is from the year 1420. First known owner was Björn Ragvaldsson, the judge in the Raasepori. After him Fleming family started to use Suitia as their secondary residence. The third owner, Erik Fleming was a remarkable Councilor of State of Sweden. He fought succesfully against Danish army and drove them away from Finland in 1523. After the war Erik Fleming lived in Suitia and extended lands and improved the manor. The present grey stone manor was completed by him about 1550.
Flemings lived in Suitia near 250 years. Their era ended up in 1730, when the Russians had demolished Suitia badly in the Great Northern War. Since it has been owned by several families. It was restored to the late medieval outfit in the beginning of the 20th century by August Wrede af Elimä.
Only battle in Suitia was fought in 1918, when the unit of white army defended it against red guards. The government of Finland reclaimed Suitia in 1934. Nowadays it’s rent to Helsinki University.
Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.