Arboga

Arboga stands on the Arbogaån, where the waterways of Bergslagen lead towards Lake Mälaren. Medieval merchants shipped iron through the town, and Franciscan friars established a house here in the thirteenth century. Its position between mining districts and the lake made Arboga a centre of trade as well as a convenient meeting place for the kingdom's leaders.

In 1435 an assembly at Arboga appointed Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson commander of Sweden's forces during his rebellion against Erik of Pomerania. The meeting has often been called Sweden's first parliament, although its composition and status are debated. Later gatherings continued to make Arboga a stage for national politics. In 1561 the estates accepted the Arboga Articles, limiting the power of Erik XIV's brothers; in 1597 Duke Charles used another assembly to advance his struggle against King Sigismund.