Kempele Old Church, Kempele, Finland

The inhabitants of Kempele were permitted to build their own prayer room in 1688. Despite of restrictions they constructed a real church which was completed in 1691. The building master was Matti Härmä. The wooden church has some gothic features. The belfry was built in 1769.

The interior is decorated by the famous church painter Mikael Toppelius between 1785 and 1795. The French-style pulpit is very personal decorated also by Toppelius.

The Church is surrounded by a cemetery. The oldest graves data back to the late 1700’s. The are also total of about 150 older graves under the church. Burials to the church ended in 1796.

User Reviews

Raimo “nallewaari” Karhu (4 years ago)
Nice old church. "Evening has already come, the organ is playing, the village is sleeping"

Seppo (4 years ago)
Komia old church, marriage church.

Helena Härmä (4 years ago)
An atmospheric, cozy historic church.

Leevi Kantelinen (5 years ago)
Hieno vanha kirkko

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Staffan O Andersson

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Gamla Uppsala Church

The stone church of Gamla Uppsala, built over the pagan temple, dates from the early 12th century. Due to fire and renovations, the present church is only a remnant of the original cathedral.

Before the arrival of Christianity in Sweden, Gamla Uppsala was the seat of Swedish kings and a ceremonial site known all over northern Europe. The settlement was home to royal palaces, a royal burial ground, and a great pagan temple. The Uppsala temple, which was described in detail by Adam of Bremen in the 1070s, housed wooden statues of the Norse gods Odin, Thor and Freyr. A golden chain hung across its gables and the inside was richly decorated with gold. The temple had priests, who sacrificed to the gods according to the needs of the people.

The first Christian cathedral was probably built in the 11th century, but finished in the 12th century. The stone building may have been preceded by a wooden church and probably by the large pagan temple.

Kempele Old Church

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