Sammatti Church

Lohja, Finland

The Sammatti Church is one of the oldest wooden churches still in year round use in Finland. It was constructed by Mickel Jöransson in 1754-55. This is the third church for the Sammatti congregation. First information on Sammatti as a locality dates back to 1406. As a chapel of the Lohja parish, Sammatti has existed since the end of the 16th century. It became its own parish in 1951.

Even though the current church looks small, it can house up to 350 people.The history of Sammatti Church is closely related to the Finnish national awakening in the 19th century and the life of Elias Lönnrot. During his retirement, Lönnrot organised the services in the church for over ten years, delivering the sermon regularly. Lönnrot also took part in the renewing of the Finnish hymn book in Sammatti. The altarpiece, painted by Adolf von Becker, was donated by Lönnrot.

References:

Visit Lohja

Address

Lönnrotintie 19, Lohja, Finland

See all sites in Lohja

Details

Founded: 1754-1755
Category: Religious sites in Finland
Historical period: The Age of Enlightenment (Finland)

More Information

www.visitlohja.fi

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Tom Hattula (3 years ago)
A nice small and old wooden church where Elias Lönnroth has preached several times. Lönnroth's tombstone is on the south side of the church. When we visited the place, the guide was there, thank you for the good guidance.

satu salovaara (3 years ago)
Thanks to the parishioners and the chaplain. I got to the church and heard the history, e.g. from the altarpiece. At the same time, it became clear why the artists of the golden age came from here on the edge of Europe to the world to study. A small cemetery full of history. There is a parking lot next to the road, so it's worth stopping by.

Heinz Mr Green (3 years ago)
Beautiful winter environment

GoZa MiTe (3 years ago)
This is very old and beautiful wooden church. I wish it would be possible to visit inside more often!

Maija Kokkonen (4 years ago)
The church already existed in the time of Elias Lönnrot. He has preached in church, attended there with his family, and he and his family are buried in a cemetery at church. Great tourist destination in Lohja!

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 diannlroy.com

Historic Site of the week

Jan Hus Memorial

The Jan Hus Memorial stands at one end of Old Town Square. The huge monument depicts victorious Hussite warriors and Protestants who were forced into exile 200 years after Hus, and a young mother who symbolises national rebirth. The monument was so large that the sculptor designed and built his own villa and studio where the work could be carried out. It was unveiled in 1915 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Jan Hus' martyrdom. The memorial was designed by Ladislav Šaloun and paid for solely by public donations.

Born in 1369, Hus became an influential religious thinker, philosopher, and reformer in Prague. He was a key predecessor to the Protestant movement of the sixteenth century. In his works he criticized religious moral decay of the Catholic Church. Accordingly, the Czech patriot Hus believed that mass should be given in the vernacular, or local language, rather than in Latin. He was inspired by the teachings of John Wycliffe.