Kirkkokari (the Church Islet) is a small island in the Lake Köyliö. It is the only Roman Catholic pilgrimage site in Finland and one of the few in Nordic countries. The 0,30 hectare islet is also called as the Saint Henry's Island.
According to an old legend, Saint Henry was murdered on the ice of Lake Köyliö nearby Kirkkokari in January 1156. During the 13th century the island became a pilgrimage site for Catholics. It was named by a chapel that was built on the island in the 14th century. Foundations of the church are still seen in Kirkkokari as well as the monument of Christianization of Finland (1955) and Saint Henry's altar, which was built in 1999.
The Finnish Roman Catholic Church arranges an yearly pilgrimage to Kirkkokari via the Saint Henry's Road. The 140 kilometre long journey starts from the city of Turku. It ends on a memorial service in Kirkkokari on the last pre-Midsummer sunday.
References:
Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.