The Church of Ulrika Eleanora, Kristiinankaupunki, Finland

The first wooden church of Kristiinankaupunki was built between 1654 and 1658 on the site where the Ulrika Eleonora Church now stands, however it burned down on 16th June 1697. The building of the Ulrika Eleonora Church, which replaced it, was completed in 1700. The church was renovated and returned to use in 1965. The wooden church is a typical seaside church complete with a votive ship hanging from the ceiling. The ship building skills are also otherwise evident in the architecture of the church, for example in the ceiling structure. Outside the church is an old graveyard where the significant families of the city are buried. This churchyard also holds the graves of warriors of Kristiinankaupunki. Only a few services are held in the church each year. Ulrika Eleonora is a popular venue for summer weddings.

Address

Staketgatan 7, Kristiinankaupunki, Finland

See all sites in Kristiinankaupunki

Details

Founded: 1700
Category: Religious sites in Finland
Historical period: Swedish Empire (Finland)

More Information

edu.krs.fi

Rating

4.1/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Kristiinankaupunki Old Town (0,3 km)
Carlsro Museum (4,3 km)

Närpiö Church (21,3 km)
Susiluola (Wolf Cave) (15,3 km)
Pirttikylä Church (50,1 km)

User Reviews

Licht Korn (3 years ago)
Eine der schönsten Kirchen die wir auf unserer Tour gesehen haben. Unbedingt Mal anschauen.

Bo Nylen (3 years ago)

Vesa Savolainen (3 years ago)
Kristiinankaupungin ehdoton nähtävyys, vanha Ulrika Eleonoran kirkko. Kirkko kuuluu kaupungin vanhimpiin rakennuksiin. Se on rakennettu vuonna 1700. Aiemmin paikalla ollut kirkko paloi vuonna1697 salaman sytyttämänä. Tämä pieni kirkko on hyvin kaunis ja kesäpäivänä se suorastaan hehkuu väreissä. Myöskin kirkkopiha on erityisen kaunis ja hautakappeli sopii pihapiiriin erittäin hyvin muodostaen suljetun piha-alueen. Vanha kiviaita myöskin suojelee tämän karun kauniin kirkon sisäpihaa. Suosittelen tätä kirkkoa kesäisenä tutustumiskohteena lämpimästi. Ehdottomasti Kristiinankaupungin suosituimpia turistikohteita.

Jari Sundman (3 years ago)
Vanha kirkko ja ympäristö jätetty kauniisti muuttelematta ja hyvinkin vanhassa kuosissa jossa näkyy hyvin ajan patina.

Jesse Wirkkala (4 years ago)
Kaunis vanha puukirkko.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright twiga-swala

Historic Site of the week

Heraclea Lyncestis

Heraclea Lyncestis was an ancient Greek city in Macedon, ruled later by the Romans. It was founded by Philip II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century BC. The city was named in honor of the mythological hero Heracles. The name Lynkestis originates from the name of the ancient kingdom, conquered by Philip, where the city was built.

Heraclea was a strategically important town during the Hellenistic period, as it was at the edge of Macedon"s border with Epirus to the west and Paeonia to the north, until the middle of the 2nd century BC, when the Romans conquered Macedon and destroyed its political power. The main Roman road in the area, Via Egnatia went through Heraclea, and Heraclea was an important stop. The prosperity of the city was maintained mainly due to this road.

The Roman emperor Hadrian built a theatre in the center of the town, on a hill, when many buildings in the Roman province of Macedonia were being restored. It began being used during the reign of Antoninus Pius. Inside the theatre there were three animal cages and in the western part a tunnel. The theatre went out of use during the late 4th century AD, when gladiator fights in the Roman Empire were banned, due to the spread of Christianity, the formulation of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the abandonment of, what was then perceived as, pagan rituals and entertainment.

Late Antiquity and Byzantine periods

In the early Byzantine period (4th to 6th centuries AD) Heraclea was an important episcopal centre. A small and a great basilica, the bishop"s residence, and a funerary basilica and the necropolis are some of the remains of this period. Three naves in the Great Basilica are covered with mosaics of very rich floral and figurative iconography; these well preserved mosaics are often regarded as fine examples of the early Christian art period.

The city was sacked by Ostrogoth/Visigoth forces, commanded by Theodoric the Great in 472 AD and again in 479 AD. It was restored in the late 5th and early 6th century. When an earthquake struck in 518 AD, the inhabitants of Heraclea gradually abandoned the city. Subsequently, at the eve of the 7th century, the Dragovites, a Slavic tribe pushed down from the north by the Avars, settled in the area. The last coin issue dates from ca. 585, which suggests that the city was finally captured by the Slavs. As result, in place of the deserted city theatre several huts were built.

The Episcopacy Residence was excavated between 1970 and 1975. The western part was discovered first and the southern side is near the town wall. The luxury rooms are located in the eastern part. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th rooms all have mosaic floors. Between the 3rd and 4th rooms there is a hole that led to the eastern entrance of the residence. The hole was purposefully created between the 4th and 6th century.

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The Church of Ulrika Eleanora