St Olaf's Church

The St. Olaf's Church in Tyrvää is a late medieval stone church built probably in 1510-1516.

Archeologists have found evidences that the church site has been a spiritual place even in 1000 BC. The settlement has concentrated to the Vanhankirkonnimemi area during the end of Iron Age. There may have been two wooden churches before the present one built in the 14th century. The St. Olaf's Church was probably extended in the 17th century by local family of Nuutila.

When the new wooden church was completed in 1855, St. Olaf's church was abandoded for one hundred years. The church was well known of it's unique interior, until it was burnt down by a pyromaniac in 1997. The church was rebuilt by local people and the interior paintings were created by painters Kuutti Lavonen and Osmo Rauhala.

Finnish National Board of Antiquities has named the church site as national built heritage.

Address

Kallialan kirkkotie 32-124, Sastamala, Finland

Details

Founded: 1510-1516
Category: Religious sites in Finland
Historical period: Middle Ages (Finland)