Stockholm - Stortorg

To the south of the Stockholm Cathedral, in the center of the island of Helgeandsholm, is the Stortorg, a square surrounded by 17th and 18th century buildings. One of the finest of these is the Exchange (Börse), built by Erik Palmstedt in 1778, which now houses the Swedish Academy and the Nobel Library. In 1520 the Stortorg was the scene of the Stockholm Massacre, in which Christian II of Denmark executed 82 leading Swedes in order to strengthen his hold on the country.