Southwest Finland
regionscoat of armsstagcross
The coat of arms of Southwest Finland (Varsinais-Suomi) displays a golden stag's head with a cross between its antlers on a blue field. The stag head is a traditional symbol associated with the region since the Middle Ages, and the cross between the antlers references the legend of Saint Hubert. This region, known as 'Finland Proper,' was the historical core of Finnish settlement and contains the former capital Turku.
Southwest Finland's capital Turku was the capital of Finland until 1812, and its cathedral, completed around 1300, is the Mother Church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.
Adopted: 1997
