Holy Cross Church (Hattula, Finland)
Encyclopedia
Hattula
's Holy Cross Church (Finnish: Pyhän Ristin kirkko) is the oldest church in the former Tavastia (Häme)
province of Finland
.
Archaeologist and art history professor Markus Hiekkanen has shown that construction of the current brick building spanned the period from 1472 to 1490 and that the building did not date to the 14th century, as previously thought.
Unique for having been built almost entirely of brick
rather than stone, the church was a popular pilgrimage
destination during the Middle Ages
. A grey stone perimeter wall was added in the 16th century. The church contains paintings from the years 1510 through 1922, as well as 40 wooden sculptures dating to the first half of the 14th century. Precious-metal crowns which had formerly belonged to the church were confiscated during the Reformation
. The church pulpit, dating to 1550, is the oldest surviving pulpit in Finland. A second pulpit was built in the 17th century. A bell tower next to the church dates to 1813.
The Hattula church is known for its lime paint fresco
es done in late Gothic style
, likely completed by the same group of artists who later painted the St. Lars church in Lohja (Finnish: Pyhän Laurin kirkko).
Hattula
Hattula is a municipality of Finland. Its seat is in Parola.It is part of the Tavastia Proper region and until 2010 it was located in the province of Southern Finland. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water...
's Holy Cross Church (Finnish: Pyhän Ristin kirkko) is the oldest church in the former Tavastia (Häme)
Tavastia (historical province)
Tavastia, Tavastland or Häme, Russian Emi or Yemi, is a historical province in the south of Finland. It borders Finland Proper, Satakunta, Ostrobothnia, Savonia and Uusimaa.- Administration :...
province of Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
.
Archaeologist and art history professor Markus Hiekkanen has shown that construction of the current brick building spanned the period from 1472 to 1490 and that the building did not date to the 14th century, as previously thought.
Unique for having been built almost entirely of brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
rather than stone, the church was a popular pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
destination during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. A grey stone perimeter wall was added in the 16th century. The church contains paintings from the years 1510 through 1922, as well as 40 wooden sculptures dating to the first half of the 14th century. Precious-metal crowns which had formerly belonged to the church were confiscated during the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
. The church pulpit, dating to 1550, is the oldest surviving pulpit in Finland. A second pulpit was built in the 17th century. A bell tower next to the church dates to 1813.
The Hattula church is known for its lime paint fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es done in late Gothic style
Gothic art
Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that developed in France out of Romanesque art in the mid-12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, but took over art more completely north of the Alps, never quite effacing more classical...
, likely completed by the same group of artists who later painted the St. Lars church in Lohja (Finnish: Pyhän Laurin kirkko).
See also
- Okkonen, Onni: Suomen Taiteen historia ("Finnish Art History"). WSOY, 1955, p. 111.
- Sarajas-Korte: Ars – Suomen taide 1 ("Finnish art 1"). Otava, 1987, p. 170. ISBN 951-35-4202-5.