On this rich archaeological site from the pre-Roman and Roman times about a hundred tombs have been discovered, out of which some date back from the 4th century B.C. According to the found artefacts and records of the Roman writers, experts identify this settlement as Arausona, a Liburnian-Roman settlement mentioned by Pliny. Tombs of the older layers of necropolis date back from the 3rd to the 1st century B.C., and they were made under the Hellenistic influence. A complex of blocks of houses made of fine carpeted stone, joined with clay, and later with mortar was also found here. The settlement was surrounded by defensive walls, made from the fractal stone, and was divided by streets. Some buildings had water tanks incised into the bedrock for collecting the rain-water.

When Västervik was founded at its current location in 1433 by Eric of Pomerania, the inhabitants were granted four tax-free years, the first of which was to build a church. Services were held here for nearly 500 years, with the last high mass on the Feast of Christ the King (Domssöndagen) in 1905. The new church, St Peter's, was consecrated on the first Advent of the same year. Since then, St Gertrud's was used for various purposes, including for grain storage during the First World War. Eventually, the idea to restore the church as a place of worship emerged, and St Gertrud's was re-consecrated on 18th June 1933. The church's original tower, destroyed by lightning during a service in 1762, was replaced in the 1780s by the current one, designed by the renowned architect Carl-Fredrik Adelcratz. Among the church's many valuable artefacts is a Wistenius organ from 1743, considered one of Sweden's most precious organs.

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