Korppoo Church, Korppoo, Finland

The Korppoo Church was erected probably between years 1430 and 1440. It represents the oldest church architecture in Finland. Good example of this is the stone tower, which was probably built for defensive purposes, not for belfry. When the church was renovated in 1952-1953, several overpainted medieval wall paintings were found overpainted and restored.

The oldest wooden statue in Finland, "Korppoon madonna", was originally in the Korppoo Church. It was made in Rheinland approximately in 1225. Today the statue is preserved in National Museum of Finland (Helsinki).

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Peter Bergman (7 years ago)

Markku Miettinen (7 years ago)
Rauhallinen kivikirkko

Marko M (7 years ago)
Korppoon keskiaikaiseen kivikirkkoon tutustumiseen kannattaa varata aikaa etenkin silloin, kun "kaikki" muutkin ovat lomalla eli juhannuksesta elokuun alkuun. Kirkko nimittäin on mantereelta kahden lauttareitin takana, joten kyseinen päivä kannattaa uhrata ensi sijaisesti Korppoon, Nauvon ja Paraisten keskiaikaisten kirkkojen katseluun. Korppoon keskiaikainen kirkko on mantereelta katsoen kauimmainen, joten siitä on hyvä aloittaa. Korppoon kirkko on siitä harvinainen, että vain harvoissa Suomen kirkoissa on keskiaikainen kuori ja kuorirakennuksen esiintyminen osoittaa kirkon korkeaa ikää. Korppoon kirkko kuuluu niihin seitsemään Suomen keskiaikaiseen kivikirkkoon, jossa keskiaikainen kuori on säilynyt keskiaikaisessa asussaan. Kirkossa on myös keskiaikainen torni, jota on mahdollisesti käytetty puolustustornina, eli sitä ei rakennettu kelloja varten, vaan toimi linnoituksena, jonne paettiin levottomina aikoina. Nämä seikat jo sellaisenaan ovat näkemisen arvoisia. Muista näkemisen arvoisista asioista mainittakoon mm. alttarikaappi, useat pyhimyksiä kuvaavat puuveistokset ja 1400-luvulta peräisin oleva kuorilehteri.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Zvonimir Hrvoj

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The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.

The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.

The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.

Korppoo Church

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