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| Turku Cathedral | |
|---|---|
Turun tuomiokirkko | |
 Frontside of Turku Cathedral in summer 2008 | |
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| 60°27′09″N22°16′41″E / 60.4524°N 22.2781°E /60.4524; 22.2781 | |
| Location | Turku |
| Country | Finland |
| Denomination | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |
| Previous denomination | Catholic |
| Website | Official Website |
| History | |
| Status | Episcopal polity |
| Dedication | Blessed Virgin Mary Saint Henry |
| Consecrated | June 17, 1300; 724 years ago (1300-06-17) |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic,Romanesque,Gothic Revival |
| Years built | 1276–1300 |
| Completed | 1300 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1,400 people[1] |
| Length | 89 m |
| Width | 38 m |
| Height | 85.53 m |
| Administration | |
| Province | Western Finland |
| Archdiocese | Turku |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Tapio Luoma |
Turku Cathedral (Finnish:Turun tuomiokirkko,Swedish:Åbo domkyrka) is the only medievalbasilica in Finland and theMother Church of theEvangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. It is the central church of the LutheranArchdiocese of Turku and the seat of the LutheranArchbishop of Finland,Tapio Luoma. It is also regarded as one of the major records of Finnish architectural history.
Considered to be the most important religious building inFinland, the cathedral has borne witness to many important events in the nation's history and has become one of the city's most recognizable symbols. The cathedral is situated in the heart ofTurku next to theOld Great Square, by theriver Aura. Its presence extends beyond the local precinct by having the sound of its bells chiming at noon broadcast on national radio. It is also central to Finland's annualChristmas celebrations.
The cathedral was originally built out of wood in the late 13th century, and wasdedicated as the main cathedral of Finland in 1300, the seat of the Catholicbishop of Turku. It was considerably expanded in the 14th and 15th centuries, mainly using stone as the construction material. The cathedral was badly damaged during theGreat Fire of Turku in 1827, and was rebuilt to a great extent afterwards.
As the town of Turku began to emerge in the course of the 13th century as the most important trading centre in Finland, the Bishop's see of theDiocese of Finland was transferred from its previous location atKoroinen, some distance further up on the bank of Aura river, to the middle of the town. By the end of the 13th century, a new stone church had been completed on the site of the former wooden-built parish church on Unikankare Mound, and it was consecrated on 17 June 1300 byBishop Magnus I as the Cathedral Church of theBlessed Virgin Mary andSaint Henry, the first Bishop of Finland.[2]
At its earliest the cathedral was smaller than the present building. Its east front was where the pulpit stands now, and its roof was considerably lower than at the moment. Extensions were made to the cathedral throughout theMiddle Ages. One of the cathedral's most well-known skull relic dates from this period.[3] During the 14th century a newchoir was added, from which the octagonal Gothic pillars in the presentchancel originate. Throughout the Middle Ages, thehigh altar was located opposite the easternmost pillars of thenave, until it was transferred to its present location in theapse, in what had previously been theChapel of All Saints, in the mid-17th century.
During the 15th century, side-chapels were added along the north and south sides of the nave, containing altars dedicated to various saints. One of which is the reliquary tomb ofBishop Hemming of Turku (1290–1366) surviving from the medieval period. He was the 12th bishop of Turku died in 1366. Bishop Hemming was a significant benefactor to the Turku Cathedral, overseeing major restorations in the 14th century. He was also a close friend of theSaint Birgitta of Sweden. After he died he originally was buried in the choir of the Turku Cathedral. However, in 1514 his remains were relocated to a niche on the north aisle of the church as he had been recognized as blessed byPope Leo X, and thus his remains gained a new reliquary status.[4] The reliquary container is a wooden chest decorated in the style of the early 16th century, though its colors are dulled over time, and now only traces of gold, yellow, blue and red remain, it is still easy to see that it would have been bright and colorful when it was first made. The niche is located next to the pulpit, in a rather dark and not clearly visible spot, thought the niche and the location by the aisle make it easily accessible, which would have been important feature due to its reliquary status.
Another historically important figure buried in the Turku Cathedral is Queen consortKarin Månsdotter (1550–1612). She was the Queen of Sweden for a short period alongsideErik XIV but lived many decades of her life in the current day Finland. Upon her death in 1612 she was buried under the floor of the Tott Chapel on the south side of the cathedral. She was first buried to the Tott Chapel Tott family. In the 1860s her remains were raised from the burial vault by the Memorial Committee and they were moved to the Kankas Chapel in which she now resides in a black marble sarcophagus decorated with a crown resting on a golden pillow.[5] The chapel itself is decorated in the 19th century after theGreat Fire of Turku in 1827.
By the end of the Middle Ages there were 42 side chapels in total. The roof-vaults were also raised during the latter part of the 15th century to their present height of 24 meters. Thus, by the beginning of theModern era, the church had approximately taken on its present shape. The major later addition to the cathedral is the tower, which has been rebuilt several times, as a result of repeated fires. The worst damage was caused by theGreat Fire of Turku in 1827, when most of the town was destroyed, along with the interior of both the tower and the nave and the old tower roof. The present spire of the tower, constructed after the great fire, reaches a height of 101 meters above sea level, and is visible over a considerable distance as the symbol of both the cathedral and the city of Turku itself.
In the reformation the cathedral was taken by the Lutheran Church of Finland (Sweden). Most of the present interior also dates from the restoration carried out in the 1830s, following the Great Fire. Thealtarpiece, depicting theTransfiguration of Jesus, was painted in 1836 by theSwedish artistFredrik Westin. Thereredos behind the high altar, and thepulpit in the crossing, also both date from the 1830s, and were designed byGerman architectCarl Ludvig Engel, known in Finland for his several other highly regarded works. The walls and roof in the chancel are decorated withfrescos in theRomantic style by the court painterRobert Wilhelm Ekman, which depict events from the life ofJesus, and the two key events in the history of the Finnish Church: thebaptism of the first Finnish Christians by Bishop Henry by the spring atKupittaa, and the presentation to KingGustav Vasa by the ReformerMichael Agricola of the first Finnish translation of theNew Testament.
The cathedral houses three organs. The current main organ of the cathedral was built by Veikko Virtanen Oy of Espoo, Finland, in 1980, and features 81 ranks with a mechanical action.
The first church in the location of the Turku Cathedral was made of wood, however, during the Middle Ages, the use of wood as a building material in cities was not recommended as a city-wide fire prevention method. The initial parts of the current church were constructed with grey stone and clay bricks, though the production of bricks was quite limited in Finland at the time and bricks were mainly used only for the church buildings. It is considered unusual that bricks would have been transported over long distances and therefore it is believed that brick production sites were generally built nearby the main construction site. Written records have been found mentioning a clay pit near the cathedral, owned by the local Dominican order. It is to be noted that many other churches remaining now from the medieval period are mainly made of stone and wood, and the use of brick was exceptional narrowed down to places that had brick making possibilities on site or nearby. The shaping of stone was still undeveloped in the 14th century in Finland and even though it was used for some churches and cellars it was not practical for more detailed use.[6]
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