Kokemäki Castle ( fi, Kokemäen linna, sv, Kumo slott) was a
Medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
castle in
Kokemäki
Kokemäki (; sv, Kumo) is a town and municipality in the Satakunta Region of Finland. The town has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is .
Finland is constitutionally bi-lingual with a Swedis ...
in the province of
Satakunta
Satakunta (in both Finnish and Swedish, ) is a region ( / ) of Finland, part of the former Western Finland Province. It borders the regions of Southwest Finland, Pirkanmaa, South Ostrobothnia and Ostrobothnia. The capital city of the region ...
in
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
. The time of its foundation is unclear, but the castle was most likely completed in 1324–25. It was demolished in 1367 by order of
King Albert, as the local residents complained of heavy taxation for the upkeep of the castle. The castle was located on the Linnaluoto Island in the river
Kokemäenjoki
The Kokemäenjoki ("Kokemäki River", sv, Kumo älv) is a river in southwestern Finland.
Geography
The river originates at Lake Liekovesi in the Pirkanmaa region, and flows to the Gulf of Bothnia at Pori in the Satakunta region. Primary tributa ...
.
[Salminen, Tapio: "Kumo castle, Aborch and Vreghdenborch – sources and past scholarship, a revision"]
English summary, p. 70–74. Academia.edu. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
History
Kokemäki Castle was the administrative centre of Kokemäenkartano
slottslän. Its function was similar to that of the castles of
Turku
Turku ( ; ; sv, Åbo, ) is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (''Varsinais-Suomi'') and the former Turku and Pori Province (''Turun ja Porin lääni''; ...
,
Häme
Häme (; Swedish: ''Tavastland'', Latin: ''Tavastia'') is the name of a geographical region in Finland, associated with the Tavastians, or Häme people (''hämäläiset''), a subgroup of the Finnish people. The precise area referred to can vary ...
and
Vyborg
Vyborg (; rus, Вы́борг, links=1, r=Výborg, p=ˈvɨbərk; fi, Viipuri ; sv, Viborg ; german: Wiborg ) is a town in, and the administrative center of, Vyborgsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It lies on the Karelian Isthmus n ...
, which are still preserved today. The only known reference to Kokemäki Castle is King Albert's warrant for the demolition and relocation of the castle, dated 12 July 1367. It was probably built of
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
and equipped with a round tower. In 1364–65 Kokemäki Castle was besieged by the army of King Albert as the castle was under the rule of
Magnus IV of Sweden
Magnus IV (April or May 1316 – 1 December 1374; Swedish ''Magnus Eriksson'') was King of Sweden from 1319 to 1364, King of Norway as Magnus VII (including Iceland and Greenland) from 1319 to 1355, and ruler of Scania from 1332 to 1360. By ...
.
[
Archaeological excavations were made in 1885. Various items were found which were dated to the late ]Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...
, as well as to the 13th and 14th century. After the demolition of Kokemäki Castle a new castle, Aborch, was established. Location of this castle is uncertain, since it was disbanded in the 1410s. It was probably built upstream at the same location as the later Kokemäenkartano manor.[
]
See also
*Liinmaa Castle
Liinmaa Castle (Finnish: ''Liinmaan linna'', Swedish: ''Vreghdenborg'') was a medieval castle in Eurajoki in the province of Satakunta in Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kokemaki Castle
Castles in Finland
Buildings and structures in Satakunta
History of Satakunta
Kokemäki