The Church of St. Michael

Keminmaa, Finland

Keminmaa old church is northest medieval church in Finland (built in 1520-1553) and one of the latest ones built before Reformation.

The paintings on the ceiling depict the sufferings of Christ; they date from 1650. The pictures of saints on the walls, the baptismal font and the holy-water font date from the Catholic times. The bier and stocks located in the church porch as well as the black pew standing inside the church itself remind us of the old parish tradition.

The fame of the Old Church of the Parish of Keminmaa is mostly based on the Lutheran priest, Nikolaus Rungius. He was the vicar of Kemi church during the Thirty Years War. Nikolaus Rungius died in 1629 and he was buried under the church in the tradition of the times.

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Details

Founded: 1520-1553
Category: Religious sites in Finland
Historical period: Middle Ages (Finland)

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Chandni Chandran (7 months ago)
500 years old church. Felt surreal to be there!
Morgan Stenberg (7 months ago)
No admission, good parking, and wonderful surroundings. The guide is friendly, serviceminded, and knows the history of the area by heart. An interesting church from the 16th century. The naturally mummified remains of priest Rungius are, for obvious reasons, and thanks to myths and legends, a showpiece. The church itself, as well, has a diverse and fascinating history. The iconoclast during the reformation, the use of the ceiling for the new church in the 18th century, and the bone house are just some examples.
R R (8 months ago)
Absolute stop along the way. Free admission. Easy to find along the good road. Good sized parking area next to old church. Next to the church yard, there's the local history museum. Guide is available inside the old church, answering all questions about the history of the church. Very informative visit. It's such a beautiful church. Roof paintings are believed to be painted by Lars Gallenius 1680s, on the same trip as he was painting the old church of Tornio. The painting was repainted in the 1930s by Oskari Niemi. Unfortunately, you can not photograph the mummy in the open showing. Underneath the floor, there's up to 30-40 bodies buried, in which 10 have been mummified through natural process. Thank you!
Eetu Lämsä (5 years ago)
Too old and stony. 4G didn't work. I won't visit again.
Pop Pani (5 years ago)
Little and Amazing 400 year old church
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