Skänninge
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Skänninge is a town in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden. It belongs to Mjölby Municipality and today has about 3,500 inhabitants.
[edit] Geography
The town is located on the Skena river.
[edit] History
Its history goes back to the 11th century, making it one of the oldest cities in Sweden. The town has changed little since then, and is still the same size with the same street structure. Many locations are recognizable since the middle ages.
One of the older buildings is the church "Our dear Lady", or Vårfrukyrkan, constructed by the towns German population in honor of Virgin Mary. Apart from the church, the town also contains the remains of a monastery of the Dominican order.
In 1250, the reigning family of Folkung had its main quarters near Skänninge, and the town developed into something of the Götaland capital, and the market place became one of the richest and most attended in the country. However, in the 13th century, the nearby located city of Vadstena surpassed it in interest. Furthermore, Skännige suffered fires in 1477 and 1466.
The annual Skänninge Market with its 1000 year old tradition is still being held in August every year, and visited by around 120,000 people.
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Skänninge is one of 134 towns with the historical City status in Sweden.
