During the reign of King Gustavus II Adolphus (r. 1611-1632) and the Vasa dynasty in general, the Kingdom of Sweden entered a period known in Swedish historiography as "Stormaktstiden" (literally, the Age of Great Power). During this time, Sweden came to control various areas of Northern Europe, including all of Finland, where the current capital Helsinki had been founded by King Gustav I (r. 1523-1560) under the name Helsingfors. 

Thanks to a series of military and technological innovations, such as mandatory conscription and the extensive exploitation of the country's rich iron and copper deposits, Gustavus II Adolphus decided to celebrate Sweden's power by commissioning the construction of an enormous warship. This vessel measured 52 meters from the top to the keel, was 69 meters long, weighed a total of 1,200 tons, and featured three masts designed to support 10 sails. The galleon would be called Vasa, in honor of the family that had elevated Sweden to a leading European kingdom. At the time, this was an unrivaled project, the first of a series of heavily armed ships intended for the Swedish navy.

On August 10, 1628, everything seemed ready for the ship's maiden voyage; however, things quickly went awry. Shortly after departing from Stockholm's harbor, due to a series of wind gusts, the *Vasa* began listing to one side, and water started to pour in through the open gun ports. After sailing for barely more than a hundred meters, the *Vasa* completely sank just a few hundred meters from Stockholm's harbor. 

Being a ship equipped with heavy artillery on a double gun deck, the *Vasa* exceeded its weight above the waterline, which prevented it from righting itself and restoring balance after it swayed under the gusts of wind. Recovered in the late 1950s by a team led by expert Anders Franzén, the salvage operation was completed in 1961. The *Vasa* was restored and is now preserved at the Vasa Museum (Vasamuseet) in Stockholm.