Stortorget is the oldest square in Stockholm. Its name means "Main Square" in Swedish. During the Middle Ages, it was a lively center of city life - trade was carried out here, meetings, executions and festivities were held. In 1520, 82 fighters for the independence of Sweden from Danish rule and occupation were executed on the square, this event is now known as the “Bloodbath”. Today, Stortorget Square is a peaceful place surrounded by houses from the 17th and 18th centuries. It is closed to cars and full of cozy cafes and restaurants. Merchants' houses of the 17th century and the building of the former Stock Exchange are located on the square (now the Nobel Museum and the Swedish Academy of Sciences are located there). In the center of the square there is an ancient massive well, now turned into a fountain, which used to be considered the center of Stockholm, from which all distances in the city were measured.