The Church of St. Olaf

Jomala, Finland

The Church of St. Olaf was built in around 1260-1280s, but the oldest parts may date back to the previous century. The wall paintings decorating the interior is from the 1280s. The present appearance of the church dates from the extensions in the 19th century. Jomala Church is the oldest remaining church in Finland.

References:

Muuka.com

Address

Godbyvägen, Jomala, Finland

See all sites in Jomala

Details

Founded: 1260-1290
Category: Religious sites in Finland
Historical period: Middle Ages (Finland)

More Information

www.aland.com
www.muuka.com
www.kyrkor.ax
en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Museum Ship Pommern & Åland Maritime Museum (7,8 km)
Åland Museum (7,8 km)

Degerby (28,6 km)
Kastelholma Castle (10,4 km)
Bomarsund (16,8 km)
Mail & Custom's House (23,2 km)
The Church of St. Catherine (12,6 km)
The Church of St. Matthias (25 km)
Geta Church (23,8 km)
The Church of St. Michael (10,9 km)
The Church of St. John (13 km)

User Reviews

Filip N (5 years ago)
Beautiful old church with adjacent graveyard. A nice place to visit for both religious and non-religious people.

Alberto Leonardis (6 years ago)
It was a pity we found it closed. Nevertheless we could enjoy the beautiful structure of massive granit. Easy to reach from Mariehamn bus station, it takes about 15'. The cemetery all around the church is also particular, immersed in absolute peace, among the only whispers of the wind and the branches of the trees.

Alberto Allia (6 years ago)
The oldest church of Aland island. An atmosphere of the past: I had the chance to visit while ceremony was ongoing giving an extra touch of feeling. Around you can find a very quiet and simple cemetery.

Slawomir Malara (6 years ago)
It is really worth to visit this place!

Johnny Ahlström (6 years ago)
Big church for being on Åland. Good acoustics

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright caminanteK

Historic Site of the week

Château de Foix

The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.

In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.