Naantali (Swedish: Nådendal) is a city in Finland. It is located
in the province of Southwest Finland. The municipality is home to
19,373 people and covers an area of 687.99 km², of which 3.93 km² is
inland water. The population density is 62 inhabitants / km². 97.6%
of the city's residents are Finnish-speaking and 1.7%
Swedish-speaking.
The summer residence of the President of
the Republic, Kultaranta, is located in Naantali.
Merimasku,
Rymättylä and Velku joined Naantali at the beginning of 2009. The
name and coat of arms of the city remained unchanged. On 1 January
2011, the Association of Finnish Associations moved the Livonsaari
and Lempisaari areas from Mask to Naantali. After the connections,
the population became less than 20,000. The connected areas
increased the total area of the city by about 50 square kilometers,
the land area is more than 27 km², the rest is water.
According to the 2008 municipal image survey of the Economic Survey,
Naantali has the best image of municipalities in its size class
(less than 20,000 inhabitants).
The center of Naantali is on the mainland side. In
addition to this, Naantali includes the islands of Luonnonmaa and
Otava, as well as a large number of smaller islands, such as Kailo,
Livonsaari and Palva. The island region is mostly forested and
rural, while the mainland is mostly agglomeration.
Naantali's
neighboring municipalities are Parainen, Masku, Raisio, Taivassalo
and Turku.
The distance from Naantali to Turku is 16
kilometers.
Naantali is one of the oldest cities
in Finland. It was founded in the Middle Ages around the Georgian
monastery and the church that still dominates its city. The city was
founded by King Kristofer of Bavaria, who originally moved the
monastery of Masku to Karinkylä (1438) to the Naantali Church in
1443. The monastery was granted the right to trade, and the city
began to grow around it. The city also became a major pilgrimage
site. The letters vg in the coat of arms of Naantali come from the
Latin name of the monastery in Karinkylä, Vallis gratiae (Nådendal,
‘Valley of Grace’).
The monastery was closed in the 16th
century after the Reformation. This marked a major recession for the
city, during which it was known as the monastery’s heritage, mainly
for its woven socks. The recession lasted until the middle of the
18th century. In that case, the city received a customs boom and a
customs chamber.
Spa operations in Naantali began as early as
1723 when the Viluluoto health spring was opened. However,
operations did not stabilize until 1863, when the spa was moved to
the city shore below the church. In 1868, the still operating
restaurant Kaivohuone was completed. The operation of the old spa
ended when demand decreased in 1863. In 1922, Kultaranta on Natural
Land became the summer residence of the President of the Republic.
The city had a better time in the 1950s, when the heavy
industrial units that dominated its economy were established. In
1964, the city's population grew significantly when Naantali and the
larger rural countryside of Naantali were merged. In 1984, the
company of Turku-based entrepreneurs Ritva and Pekka Niemi,
Kuntoutusyhtymä Oy, built a new and modern spa in Kalevanniemi. This
raised the city’s reputation as a travel destination.