Porvoo is located in the Itä-Uusimaa region on the coast of the Gulf of Finland about 50 km east of Helsinki and it is Finland's second oldest town. The settlement in the Porvoo region began in the 13th century, the town was mentioned in documents from the 14th
century. The story tells that in 1346 Maunu Eerikinpoika (Magnus Eriksson), the King of Sweden, visited Porvoo and granted the town rights. Because the Porvoo Castle was built on the hill, the town was named
Borgå ("castle river" in Swedish).
The Old Town of Porvoo is unique. The central point is the medieval stone and brick Saint Mary's Cathedral of 13th century. The church became a Cathedral in 1723. The building has been destroyed several times and the present appearance is from the 18th century. The Cathedral is surrounded by a charming old town where some wooden houses are several hundred years old.
Porvoo has been an important centre of trade since the 13th century. The red coloured wooden shore houses on the riverside were used as storehouses for coffee, tobacco, exotic fruits, wines and spices as well as for other products which were brought to Porvoo. Nowadays they are used as private living quarters and storage spaces. The shore houses got their colour only in the late 18th century - they were painted to honour the King of Sweden Gustav III.
Shore houses, the narrow cobblestone streets, pastel-coloured old wooden houses and idyllic courtyards make the town very beautiful and unique. This quiet and peaceful place I have tried to show in my photographs. Enjoy!
Visit my photo gallery for more photos of Porvoo -
picasaweb.google.com.
References:
1. wikipedia
2. City of Porvoo
3. Traveller's Porvoo
