Kristianopel (originally founded as Christianople) was established by the Danish king Christian IV in 1603 as a fortress city and named after his newborn son - Christian, or Kristian, with Danish spelling. The Greek suffix '-opel' was given to give the town a cosmopolitan ring similar to Constantinople. Construction of the town was completed in 1606.
The first church was built in 1600, but burnt down only eleven years later by Swedish army. The current churc was built of stone between 1618-1624. The chandelier dates from the former Avaskär church. Tje pulpit dates from 1621 and altar 1624. There is also a royal chair of Christian IV (1635).
References:The church of the former Franciscan monastery was built probably between 1515 and 1520. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Rauma. The church stands by the small stream of Raumanjoki (Rauma river).
The exact age of the Church of the Holy Cross is unknown, but it was built to serve as the monastery church of the Rauma Franciscan Friary. The monastery had been established in the early 15th century and a wooden church was built on this location around the year 1420.
The Church of the Holy Cross served the monastery until 1538, when it was abandoned for a hundred years as the Franciscan friary was disbanded in the Swedish Reformation. The church was re-established as a Lutheran church in 1640, when the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity was destroyed by fire.
The choir of the two-aisle grey granite church features medieval murals and frescoes. The white steeple of the church was built in 1816 and has served as a landmark for seafarers.