Fittja gård

Hidden beneath the layers of time, Fittja gård whispers tales of kings and commoners, horses and highways. Fittja gård stands as a silent witness to centuries of Swedish history. Originally mentioned in a 1299 tenancy letter, Fittja gård blossomed into prominence with the construction of Södertäljevägen in 1633. This new road, later known as Riksväg 1, placed Fittja gård on the main artery between Stockholm and Helsingborg. Imagine the hustle and bustle of the 17th century, the creak of carriages, the snorting of horses. Fittja gård became a vital coaching inn, the first stop south of Stockholm for travelers to change horses. It even boasted royal permission to serve food and drink, making it a welcome respite for weary journeys. And not just any travelers frequented Fittja gård. Kings Charles XII and Oscar I, even the renowned botanist Carl Linnaeus, stopped within its walls. Linnaeus, in his meticulous notes from 1741, complained of a “long time” waiting for horses at Fittja gård. A royal complaint indeed! Gustav III, arriving in style by barge from Drottningholm Palace, also graced Fittja gård with his presence. The celebrated poet Carl Michael Bellman immortalized the inn’s vibrant atmosphere in his works, capturing snippets of the laughter, the clinking of glasses, the stories shared. Fittja gård was more than just an inn. It served as a post station, with riders and horses ready to relay messages across the realm. From 1660 to 1916, it even housed the district court for the Svartlösa Hundred. The present building, an elegant Empire-style structure dating to 1812, reveals the ambitious renovations undertaken by then-owner, merchant Jacob Schmidt. The former main house, from the mid-18th century, still stands nearby as Ängsbyggningen, the Meadow Building. Fittja gård, with its rich history, served as a bustling hub of activity for centuries. But the advent of steamboats marked a turning point. Travel by land became less frequent, and Fittja gård’s heyday faded. Though the inn continued to operate until 1972, the energy of the coaching era diminished. Today, Fittja gård houses the Multicultural Centre, a research center dedicated to the study of individual cultures and a museum of Swedish migration history. It’s a place where the past and present intertwine, where the echoes of centuries past still resonate within the walls.