The oldest picture depicting Stockholm dates from 1535. It represents the town from the west and shows the stone buildings and brick houses of Stadsholmen, as well as the poorly-built wooden houses in the outskirts of the town. The picture also shows the so called ΓÇÿHouse of the Holy SpiritΓÇÖ(Helgeandshuset) on Helgeandsholmen and the Franciscan monastery, situated on the present-day Riddarholmen. The Cathedral rises above the town and the old royal castle, Tre Kronor (ΓÇÿThree CrownsΓÇÖ), can be seen behind it. The town was closely packed with houses, and one can almost smell the stench from the animals and the waste, feel the cramped life within the walls and hear the sounds on the narrow alleys, when looking at the picture.
