Bondtorget, Västerås

Bondtorget is the western part of Stora torget in Västerås. Under the cobblestones hides an old Christian cemetery from the 11th century or older. The cemetery was already closed in the 13th century and is covered by houses. It is still unclear why it was abandoned.

But the cobbles hide more secrets. One of the houses lining the square burned down in 1972 and the remains of a building were found underneath. In a cavity in the wall of that building, someone had hidden a treasure, a silver treasure of 16,232 silver coins weighing 18 kg, which was later named the Västerås Treasure. The youngest coins were dated 1518, which suggests that they were hidden sometime during the war of liberation. Most of the coins were minted in Västerås and unused. The coins most likely came from the Sala silver mine, as it was previously decided that the Salasil silver could only be minted in Västerås and Stockholm.