Hartola The Royal Parish
The past
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	Inhabited since the Iron Age
	Hartola has been inhabited since the Iron Age. The first historical documents of Hartola date back to 1398 when the Pope granted local people absolution, provided they attended church services. In those days local residents were part of the large parish of Sysmä. On August 31st, 1784, after Governor Adolf Tandefelt had applied for sovereignty, King Gustav III of Sweden declared Hartola a sovereign parish and named it after his son Gustav Adolf. According to tradition the King visited Hartola in the early 19th century and to commemorate this occasion the King´s Chair is still on display in the Itä-Häme Museum. Based on these facts Hartola was declared the “Royal Parish” in 1987 - the one and only in the Republic of Finland! The Itä-Häme region is renowned for its manors. Of the eight manor houses in Hartola, the most important was Koskipää. At its largest Koskipää measured 25,000 hectares (about 65,000 acres), and there were nearly two hundred tenants there. Today Koskipää with its riverside park is a charming museum and exhibition area. The Itä-Häme museum is housed in the former manor buildings. The Eko manor offers educational services as Itä-Häme College, and Tollinmäki is a popular venue for festive occasions and meetings.