St. Lawrence's Church

Lohja, Finland

Lohja church is the third biggest medieval church in Finland. It dates back to the 15th century, probably between years 1470 and 1490. Impressive chalk paintings inside the church are made in the regime of bishop Arvid Kurki (1510-1522).

The Lohja parish was established in 1230s or 1240s and there have been several wooden churches before the present one. Also origins of the bell tower date back to the Middle Ages. The upper part was added in 1740.

The church site is named as the national built heritage by National Board of Antiques.

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Address

Kirkkokatu 1, Lohja, Finland
See all sites in Lohja

Details

Founded: 1470-1490
Category: Religious sites in Finland
Historical period: Middle Ages (Finland)

More Information

www.muuka.com
www.visitlohja.fi

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Hvitträsk (26,3 km)
Raasepori Castle (37,1 km)
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Sjundby Manor (16,5 km)
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Fagervik (29 km)
St. Katherine's Church (28,1 km)
Loppi Old Church (54,5 km)
Billnäs (30,1 km)

User Reviews

Inkeri Uro (4 years ago)
Kaunis vanha kivikirkko jossa säilynyt piirrokset alusta asti
Tomi Syrjä (4 years ago)
Erittäin hieno rakennus. 1700 luvun piirrokset peittävät koko sisätilan.
Irmeli Wikman (4 years ago)
En av mina kära kyrkor. Stolt och fin kyrka med vackra målningar inomhus. Kyrkan ger sin prägel åt hela samhället.
Ari Kemppinen (5 years ago)
Came here during the "Christmas Fair of the Olden times", to safe from the cold and damp weather. The church is really massive stone building with a black, shingle roof. The drawings onnthe walls inside are really rare and special for Finnish churches. Acoustics are good. Toilets are located downstairs, you have to take steep stairs to go there.
Marko Mikael Tenkanen (6 years ago)
A wonderful stone church from the 15th century. The biblical drawings inside are very rare in Finland.
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Ulfstand was a councillor, nobleman and admiral serving under John I of Denmark and many objects have been uncovered during archeological excavations that demonstrate the extravagant lifestyle of the knight's family at Glimmingehus up until Ulfstand's death in 1523. Some of the most expensive objects for sale in Europe during this period, such as Venetian glass, painted glass from the Rhine district and Spanish ceramics have been found here. Evidence of the family's wealth can also be seen inside the stone fortress, where everyday comforts for the knight's family included hot air channels in the walls and bench seats in the window recesses. Although considered comfortable for its period, it has also been argued that Glimmingehus was an expression of "Knighthood nostalgia" and not considered opulent or progressive enough even to the knight's contemporaries and especially not to later generations of the Scanian nobility. Glimmingehus is thought to have served as a residential castle for only a few generations before being transformed into a storage facility for grain.

An order from Charles XI to the administrators of the Swedish dominion of Scania in 1676 to demolish the castle, in order to ensure that it would not fall into the hands of the Danish king during the Scanian War, could not be executed. A first attempt, in which 20 Scanian farmers were ordered to assist, proved unsuccessful. An additional force of 130 men were sent to Glimmingehus to execute the order in a second attempt. However, before they could carry out the order, a Danish-Dutch naval division arrived in Ystad, and the Swedes had to abandon the demolition attempts. Throughout the 18th century the castle was used as deposit for agricultural produce and in 1924 it was donated to the Swedish state. Today it is administered by the Swedish National Heritage Board.

On site there is a museum, medieval kitchen, shop and restaurant and coffee house. During summer time there are several guided tours daily. In local folklore, the castle is described as haunted by multiple ghosts and the tradition of storytelling inspired by the castle is continued in the summer events at the castle called "Strange stories and terrifying tales".

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