Top Historic Sights in Vaasa, Finland
Explore the historic highlights of Vaasa
Vaasa City Hall
Vaasa City Hall was designed by Swedish architect Magnus Isæus and it was completed in 1883. The Senate of Finland moved to the city hall during the Civil War on 16.3.1918. The Senate worked there until 3.5.1918 when the war ended and Senate moved back to Helsinki.Today the City Hall is used for events of local communities, companies and the city of Vaasa.Vaasa Church
Vaasa Church was planned by the architect C. A. Setterberg and consecrated in 1869. The church, built in an English neo-gothic style, has a capacity of almost 900 people. The last restoration took place in the year 2000.The church has three altarpieces: The Institution of the Eucharist by R. W. Ekman (1861), The Adoration of the Angels by Albert Edelfelt (1894), and The Deposition of Christ by Louis Sparre (1897).The Church of St. Mary
There are only ruins remaining of the medieval church in Mustasaari, Vaasa. It was built probably between 1500-1520.Mustasaari Church
Mustasaari (Korsholm) Church was originally built for the Court of Appeal between 1776 and 1786, and designed by Carl Fredrik Adelcrantz. After the city, including the church, burnt down in 1852, the building was rebuilt as a church under the direction of Carl Axel Setterberg, who worked as a county architect for the county of Vasa.The church is the most significant sample of early Gustavian style in Finland. It has been ...Korsholm Castle Ruins
Korsholm Castle was a medieval castle in Vaasa. It was probably built in the 1370s and the oldest record dates back to 1384 (the testament of Bo Jonsson Grip, where the castle was called as Krytzeborg). The castle was originally built to a small island and it was surrounded by a moat and two walls. The castle itself was probably built of wood. In the Middle Ages Korsholm was a property of several nobles. The most famous ...Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings
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Stavanger Cathedral
Stavanger Cathedral is Norway's oldest cathedral. Bishop Reinald, who may have come from Winchester, is said to have started construction of the Cathedral around 1100. It was finished around 1150, and the city of Stavanger counts 1125 as its year of foundation. The Cathedral was consecrated to Swithin as its patron saint. Saint Swithun was an early Bishop of Winchester and subsequently patron saint of Winchester Cathedral. Stavanger was ravaged by fire in 1272, and the Cathedral suffered heavy damage. It was rebuilt under bishop Arne, and the Romanesque Cathedral was enlarged in the Gothic style.
In 1682, king Christian V decided to move Stavanger's episcopal seat to Kristiansand. However, on Stavanger's 800th anniversary in 1925, king Haakon VII instated Jacob Christian Petersen as Stavanger's first bishop in nearly 250 years.During a renovation in the 1860s, the Cathedral's exterior and interior was considerably altered. The stone walls were plastered, and the Cathedral lost much of its medieval looks. A major restoration led by Gerhard Fischer in 1939-1964 partly reversed those changes. The latest major restoration of the Cathedral was conducted in 1999. Andrew Lawrenceson Smith is famous for his works here.