Lohja Church
The Laurentius Church of Lohja (Lohjan Pyhän Laurin kirkko) is one of the largest medieval stone churches in Finland . It was built towards the end of the 15th century and is particularly known for the wall paintings from the 16th century.
The first written mention of a Laurentius Church in Lohja dates back to 1382. Today's stone church was built between 1470 and 1490. It is the third largest medieval church in Finland. Its wall paintings are considered one of the most important cultural monuments in Finland from the 16th century.
The layout of the church is typical of the medieval churches in Finland. The three-aisled nave is east- facing , the choir is the easternmost part of the nave and does not form a separate part of the building. At 40.3 mx 22.3 m, the church is the third largest medieval church in Finland after the Turku Cathedral and Naantali Church. The sacristy is an extension on the north wall, on the south wall of the church there is a small vestibule called an armory . This originally served as additional protection for the entrance in times of war, as the churches were often the most stable buildings in town. According to recent research, it is doubtful that the weapon house was used to store the weapons that were carried before entering the actual church. There is a bell tower southeast of the church.
The wall paintings, executed in secco painting, depict biblical scenes. They begin to the right of the pulpit with Creation and the Garden of Eden. It continues clockwise around the whole church until the Last Judgment on the left of the pulpit. There is a statue of Saint Lawrence on the south wall of the church.
The wall paintings were limed over at the beginning of the 19th century and exposed again in the 1880s. 1953 to 1957 the church was restored.
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Church of Lohja (Finnish) in Museovirastu, accessed November 8, 2017
- ↑ Vapenhus, kyrktorn och kyrkbyggen (Swedish) , Bengt Nordahl, Släkt och Bygd , accessed November 9, 2017
- ↑ Pyhän Laurin Kirkko on lonely planet, accessed November 8, 2017
- ↑ Lohjan Pyhän Laurin kirkko (Finnish), accessed March 9, 2020
Coordinates: 60 ° 15 ′ 11 ″ N , 24 ° 4 ′ 4 ″ E