Medieval stone churches in Finland

Finnish medieval stone churches are mainly located in the western and southern parts of the country.

The oldest churches and chapels were built of wood, which remained the most common material until the late 19th century.

The oldest preserved wooden churches in Finland date back to the 17th century.

In the 1990s, the Finnish archeologist Markus Hiekkanen claimed the churches were much younger, constructed between the 15th and early 16th century.

[1] Finnish medieval stone churches can be classified in three groups by their architectural style.

The first group includes the oldest churches found exclusively in the Åland Islands.

The second group is mainly built in the areas of Southwest Finland, Uusimaa and the southern parts of Tavastia.

Some churches have notable paintings by foreign masters, but others display a rather primitive form of art.