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The Church of the Holy Cross (Finnish: Pyhän Ristin kirkko, Swedish: Heliga korsets kyrka) is a medieval fieldstone church in Rauma, Finland. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Rauma. The church stands by the small stream of Raumanjoki (Rauma river).
| Church of the Holy Cross | |
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| General information | |
| Location | Rauma, Finland |
| Coordinates | 61°07′47″N 21°30′44″E / 61.12972°N 21.51222°E |
| Construction started | 1515 |
| Completed | 1520 |
The exact age of the Church of the Holy Cross is unknown, but it was built to serve as the monastery church of the Rauma Franciscan Friary.[1] The monastery had been established in the early 15th century and a wooden church was built on this location around the year 1420. Historians assume the current stone church was completed in 1515–1520.[1] The Church of the Holy Cross served the monastery until 1538, when it was abandoned for a hundred years as the Franciscan friary was disbanded in the Swedish Reformation. The church was re-established as a Lutheran church in 1640, when the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity was destroyed by fire.[2]
The church itself is a two-aisle church made of grey granite. The choir features fresco-secco style murals depicting the Biblical story of salvation. The paintings are from the time of Arvid Kurck, who was Bishop of Turku 1510–1522.[3] The Bell tower was built in 1816. It was made of stones from the ruins of the Church of the Holy Trinity. The white steeple used to serve as a landmark for seafarers.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b "Places to Visit in Old Rauma". Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ "Old Rauma". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ Rauman Pyhän Ristin kirkko Archived 2013-05-17 at the Wayback Machine (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 September 2013.
- ^ Rauma Town Archived 2010-07-03 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 17 September 2013.
External links
edit- Church of the Holy Cross over the centuries (in Finnish)
Media related to Church of the Holy Cross, Rauma at Wikimedia Commons