One of the oldest towns in Finland, Naantali was founded around the medieval Brigittine convent
Vallis gratiae (or Nådendal Abbey), the church of which still dominates its skyline. The charter was signed by King
Christopher of Bavaria, the then ruler of Finland, in 1443. The convent got trading rights and other privileges, and the town around it began to grow. It also became an important destination for
pilgrimage. In the 16th century, as
Catholicism gave way to
Protestantism as the official religion of
Sweden (which
Finland was part of at the time), the convent was closed, and the town plunged into a depression. This lasted until the mid-18th century, when the town got a
tollgate and a customs chamber. In the two centuries of economic stagnation before that the town had become famous for its knitted
stockings, a craft carried on from the times of the convent. The year 1863 saw the founding of the spa at Cape Kalevanniemi, which raised the town's status as a holiday venue. In 1922, the
Kultaranta estate on
Luonnonmaa was made the official summer residence for the President of the Republic, after Finland had gained its independence five years earlier. The municipalities of
Merimasku,
Rymättylä and
Velkua were consolidated with Naantali on January 1, 2009. The per capita tax income of the town is the second highest of all towns in Finland, and the highest in the province of
Southwest Finland. ==Name==