Every design for Parola

At Parolannummi, a military field beside Parola, a meeting between Emperor Alexander II and Senator Johan Vilhelm Snellman led to Finnish being raised to equal standing with Swedish. The bronze Lion of Parola by Andreas Fornander was put up to remember it. Troops have mustered on this ground since the Thirty Years' War, and Swedish kings Gustav III and Gustav IV Adolf, then Russian emperors, came to watch the exercises.

For many Finns the name calls up a scene from Tuntematon sotilas, The Unknown Soldier: the film's tank fight was shot here, with a tank borrowed from Parola. Today the Armour Brigade is still based in the garrison, and Panssarimuseo, the armour museum, shows American, German, French, Russian and British tanks. Older layers lie close by at Luolajan leiripaikka, an ancient camp site, and at the offering stone of Pappilanniemen uhrikivi, while Alhaisten kartano recalls the manors of Häme.

Parola is the centre of Hattula, north of Hämeenlinna, and its station on the main line opened when the railway reached on to Tampere. Above it all, the bronze lion still looks out over Parolannummi.