This is a list of medieval stone churches in Finland. A total number of 104 fieldstone churches were built between the 13th and 16th century, of which 83 have been preserved. Numbers include the sacristies of uncompleted churches as well as three churches in Vyborg which is now part of Russia.
The construction years for each church are listed in accordance with Suomen keskiajan kivikirkot ('Finnish Medieval Stone Churches') by historian Markus Hiekkanen. [1] The book, first published in 2003, builds on the chronology first put forth in Hiekkanen's 1994 doctoral thesis "The Stone Churches of the Medieval Diocese of Turku: A Systematic Classification and Chronology." [2] Until Hiekkanen's research, which is based in statistical interpretation of field observations using "a systematic database of comparative criteria," [3] most of the churches were generally considered 100–200 years older.
While Hiekkanen's dates represent those most frequently used by state museums [4] and the Finnish Heritage Agency, his work is not universally accepted and scholars have disagreed with various elements of his research, including his methods and certain dates offered. Åsa Ringbom of Åbo Akademi University, an art historian and one of the principal researchers of the Åland Churches Project, has offered dates for the construction of the stone churches of Åland that, in some cases, differ from Hiekkanen's by a century or more. Hiekkanen has consistently dismissed the interdisciplinary methods used by Ringbom and his colleagues – which include a combined study of written sources, stylistic dating, archeological finds, dendrochronology, and mortar dating, among other modes – and, conversely, Ringbom has called into question Hiekkanen's lack of transparency regarding his methodological principals and limited incorporation of data which fall outside of his model. [3]
The provinces in this list refer to the historical provinces of Finland, which were replaced by the regions of Finland in 1634, and differ from the former provinces of Finland, which were in use during 1634 to 2009.
The official international name for cities, towns and municipalities in bilingual Finland follows the naming of the majority language of that area. But using the other name version is equal. During historical period the naming was mainly the Swedish one. The list follows the main rule as giving the official name first. But also giving the name in the other official language in the following column. This is of significant help for the reader as the names might very a lot. Medieval churches are historical and that is the reason a few of the names in Swedish that are considered out of use nowadays are entered as this is the way the churches might originally be named in sources and literature. [5]
| Province | Churches | Sacristies | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finland Proper | 26 | 4 | 30 |
| Tavastia | 13 | 6 | 19 |
| Uusimaa | 14 | – | 14 |
| Satakunta | 9 | 4 | 13 |
| Åland | 13 | – | 13 |
| Ostrobothnia | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| Karelia | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Savonia | – | 1 | 1 |
| Church | Church name based on the second official language in Finland | Image | Original parish | Parish namne based on the socond official language in Finland | Current municipality | Municipality inte the secon official langiage in Finland | Built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Savilahti Stone Sacristy | Swedish : Savilax Stone Sacristy |  | Savilahti | Swedish : Savilax | Mikkeli | Swedish : Mikkeli | 1520–1560 | abandoned 18th century, restored 1901 |
Åland is officially monolingual Swedish speaking and the names are just according to the Swedish language.
| Church | Image | Original parish | Current municipality | Built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Church of St. Olaf |  | Jomala | Jomala | 1275–1285 | |
| Eckerö Church |  | Eckerö | Eckerö | 1380–1420 | |
| Finström Church |  | Finström | Finström | 1440–1470 | |
| Föglö Church |  | Föglö | Föglö | 1500–1520 | expanded 1859–1860 |
| Geta Church |  | Geta | Geta | 1510–1540 | |
| Hammarland Church |  | Hammarland | Hammarland | 14th century | |
| Kumlinge Church |  | Kumlinge | Kumlinge | 1500–1510 | |
| Kökar Church | Franciscan Convent in Kökar | Kökar | 1500–1520 | abandoned late 16th century, present church 1784 | |
| Lemböte Chapel |  | Lemland | Lemland | 1500–1530 | abandoned late 16th century, renovated 1890s |
| Lemland Church |  | Lemland | Lemland | 1290–1310 | |
| Saltvik Church |  | Saltvik | Saltvik | 1350s–1370s | |
| Sund Church |  | Sund | Sund | late 13th century | |
| Vårdö Church |  | Vårdö | Vårdö | 1520–1550 |
Media related to Medieval churches in Finland at Wikimedia Commons Media related to Fieldstone churches in Finland at Wikimedia Commons
Porvoo is a city in Finland. It is located on the south coast of the country, on the Gulf of Finland. Porvoo lies in the eastern part of the Uusimaa region. The population of Porvoo is approximately 51,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 59,000. It is the 19th most populous municipality in Finland, and the 15th most populous urban area in the country.
Between 1634 and 2009, Finland was administered as several provinces. Finland had always been a unitary state: the provincial authorities were part of the central government's executive branch and apart from Åland, the provinces had little autonomy. There were never any elected provincial parliaments in continental Finland. The system was initially created in 1634. Its makeup was changed drastically on 1 September 1997, when the number of the provinces was reduced from twelve to six. This effectively made them purely administrative units, as linguistic and cultural boundaries no longer followed the borders of the provinces. The provinces were eventually abolished at the end of 2009. Consequently, different ministries may subdivide their areal organization differently. Besides the former provinces, the municipalities of Finland form the fundamental subdivisions of the country. In current use are the regions of Finland, a smaller subdivision where some pre-1997 läänis are split into multiple regions. Åland retains its special autonomous status and its own regional parliament.
The historical provinces are former administrative or cultural areas of Finland, with origins from the slottslän of the Middle Ages. The historical provinces ceased to be administrative entities in 1634 when they were superseded by the counties, a reform which remained in force in Finland until 1997. The historical provinces remain as a tradition, but have no administrative function today.
The coat of arms of Åland features a golden red deer on a blue field. This is traditionally surmounted by a comital coronet of the elder Swedish style.
Sund is a municipality of Åland. It is an autonomous territory of Finland, and one of the official 27 national landscapes of Finland.
Vihti is a municipality in Finland, located in the southern interior of the country. Vihti is situated in the Uusimaa region. The population of Vihti is approximately 29,000. It is the 37th most populous municipality in Finland. Vihti is part of the Helsinki metropolitan area, which has approximately 1.58 million inhabitants.
Turku Cathedral is the only medieval basilica in Finland and the Mother Church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. It is the central church of the Lutheran Archdiocese of Turku and the seat of the Lutheran Archbishop of Finland, Tapio Luoma. It is also regarded as one of the major records of Finnish architectural history.
Espoo Cathedral is a medieval parish church and cathedral in Espoo, Finland. It is the seat of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of Espoo, established in 2004. The cathedral is located in the district of Espoon keskus, near the Espoonjoki river. The oldest parts of the church were completed in the 1480s and it is thus the oldest preserved building in the city.
Kauko Antero Pirinen, was a Finnish historian, professor in church history at Helsinki University from 1961, and professor in general church history 1963–80.
Lammi Church is a medieval stone church located in Lammi, Hämeenlinna, Southern Finland. It was built during the 1510s.
St. Mary's Church is a medieval stone church located in Maaria, in Turku, Finland. There are no records as to when the present church was built, but the work was probably started in the mid or late 15th century. According to Markus Hiekkanen, the church was probably built in the 1440s, on the basis of the style of the closets; the gables were constructed about 50 years later. There are medieval limestone paintings on the walls, which are not common to other places in Finland. The most valuable artefacts are the wooden altar cabinet and a large altarpiece depicting Christ on the cross.
Medieval stone churches in Finland were built between the 13th and 16th century. The total number of churches was 104, of which 83 have been preserved. Numbers include the sacristies of uncompleted churches. Finnish medieval stone churches are mainly located in the western and southern parts of the country. They were usually fieldstone churches made of grey granite. Some are built of red granite and limestone while two churches are made of brick.
St. Olaf's Church, also known as Ulvila Church, is a church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland in Ulvila, Finland. The church is considered one of the best-preserved medieval fieldstone churches in Finland and is the only remaining structure from the medieval town of Ulvila. St. Olaf has been the patron saint of the church since before 1429.
In Swedish and Finnish history, Finland under Swedish rule is the historical period when the bulk of the area that later came to constitute Finland was an integral part of Sweden. The starting point of Swedish rule is uncertain and controversial. Historical evidence of the establishment of Swedish rule in Finland exists from the middle of the 13th century onwards.
Constructed between the years of 1460 and 1472, the Sauvo church is a medieval stone church located within Sauvo, Finland. A military cemetery exists at the church.
Vanhakylä or Vanha-Ulvila is a district of Ulvila in the Pori sub-region of Satakunta in southwestern Finland. The Kokemäenjoki divides the town centre of Ulvila into two parts – Vanhakylä constitutes the eastern half, on the northern bank of the Kokemäenjoki, and the western half is the district of Friitala, on the river's southern bank.
Ancient kings of Finland are kings of Finland mentioned in early historical sources. The word kuningas is an old Finnic word deriving from the ancient Germanic word kuningaz. In the time the sources were written, "Finland" mainly referred to the Finland Proper area, and depending on the source, the "kings of Finland" could also refer to kings of the Sami people.
Saint Nicholas Church of Ingå is a medieval church in Ingå, Finland. The church is owned by the evangelical-lutheran parish of Ingå.
St. Michael's Church in Kirkkonummi is a gothic, medieval stone church in the Finnish municipality of Kirkkonummi. The church was built somewhere between 1400 and 1490. The original medieval brick walls are still to be seen in the eastern part of the church.
St. Bridget's Church was a medieval stone church located in the Finnish municipality of Vihti in the Uusimaa region. Built, according to some estimates, between 1500 and 1520, the church now lies in ruins. It served as the main church of the Vihti parish, with Bridget of Sweden as its patron saint.
