Naantali Church
The church of Naantali is a medieval stone church in the town of Naantali in southwestern Finland . The church was built towards the end of the 15th century as a monastery church and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary , St. John the Baptist , St. Anna and St. Birgitta . Today it serves as the church of the Evangelical Lutheran parish of Naantali.
history
The church of Naantali was originally the church of the Birgittenkloster Vallis Gratiae ("Gnadental"), which was founded in 1443 at the same time as the city of Naantali. In 1462 the monastery was consecrated. The first monastery church was a 27 × 15 m wooden structure, the foundations of which were found in 1963/64 during archaeological excavations under today's church. Today's stone church is likely to have been built after 1480 or 1490.
After the introduction of the Reformation , the monastery became the property of the state in 1556. After the last nun died in 1591, the monastery was closed and demolished in the early 17th century. Only the church remained as the only remnant of the monastery and served from then on as the Lutheran town church of Naantali.
Building description
Despite several restorations and additions, the church of Naantali has been preserved in its mediaeval form. Among the medieval Finnish churches, the Naantali Church stands out for its size: with its dimensions of 43.5 × 28.5 meters, the three-aisled nave is the largest nave built in Finland in the Middle Ages. However, it is surpassed by the interior of Turku Cathedral, complete with choir and side chapels . The original medieval vaults were damaged in a fire in 1628 and were therefore completely renewed in 1864-67.
The floor plan of the church is relatively unusual: while most medieval Finnish churches have a sacristy and armory built on the long sides of the church, the so-called nuns' sacristy is located on the narrow eastern side of the church of Naantali. The so-called monk's choir made of brick is built on the west side . The church tower , built in 1794–97, rises above the monk's choir .
literature
- Markus Hiekkanen: Suomen keskiajan kivikirkot (= Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seuran toimituksia 1117). Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, Helsinki 2007, ISBN 978-951-746-861-9 , pp. 106-115.
Web links
See also
Coordinates: 60 ° 28 ′ 16 ″ N , 22 ° 0 ′ 55 ″ E