St Olaf's Church

Sastamala, Finland

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.

Comments

Your name


Address

Kallialan kirkkotie 32-124, Sastamala, Finland
See all sites in Sastamala

Details

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

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Sastamala Church (4,5 km)
Automobile and Tractor Museum (4,7 km)


Nuutajärvi Glass Factory (43,4 km)
Kanta-Loimaa Church (53,2 km)
Ikaalinen Church (46,8 km)
The Church of St. Catherine (23,3 km)

User Reviews

J Vuorela (3 years ago)
Beautiful medieval church. Go and see it
Ольга Макарова (4 years ago)
Terrific place! If you are in Sastamalan and don't have a car, be prepared for part of the way walking on a roadside, but it seems to be quite safe.
3rvin (4 years ago)
Nice and old place
Bo Jorgensen (4 years ago)
Amazing old church at a scenic spot. Very interesting renovation and interior decorations.
Robert Kamil (4 years ago)
Great place to visit ?
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Hidden Gems of Finnish Archipelago
Photo from Flickr, copyright Elecé

Historic Site of the week

La Iruela Castle

The castle of La Iruela, small but astonishing, is located on the top of a steep crag in Sierra de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park. From the castle, impressive views of the surrounding area and of the town can be enjoyed.

The keep dates from the Christian era. It has a square base and small dimensions and is located at the highest part of the crag.

There are some other enclosures within the tower that create a small alcázar which is difficult to access.

In a lower area of the castle, protected with defensive remains of rammed earth and irregular masonry, is an old Muslim farmstead.

After a recent restoration, an open-air theater has been built on La Iruela castle enclosure. This theater is a tribute to the Greek and Classic Eras and holds various artistic and cultural shows throughout the year.

History

The first traces of human activity in La Iruela area are dated from the Copper Age. An intense occupation continued until the Bronze Age.

Originally, La Iruela (like Cazorla) was a modest farmstead. From the 11th century, a wall and a small fortress were built on the hill to protect the farmers.

Around 1231, don Rodrigo Ximénez de Rada, Archbishop of Toledo, conquered La Iruela and made it part of the Adelantamiento de Cazorla. Over the Muslim fortress, the current fortress was built.

Once the military use of the fortress ended, it was used as cemetery.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2023 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.