Medieval stone churches in Finland

Medieval stone churches in Finland were built between the 13th and 16th century. The total number of churches was 104, of which 83 have been preserved. Numbers include the sacristies of uncompleted churches. Finnish medieval stone churches are mainly located in the western and southern parts of the country. They were usually fieldstone churches made of grey granite. Some are built of red granite and limestone while two churches are made of brick.

Christianity gained a foothold in Finland during the 11th century. 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. The oldest stone church is the St. Olaf's Church in Jomala, Åland Islands. It was completed 1260–1280.

Dating the churches is difficult, since there are very few reliable sources. During the era of Finnish nationalism in the late 19th century, the stone churches were considered to be from the 12th or 13th century. They were later mainly dated back to the 14th century. In the 1990s, the Finnish archeologist Markus Hiekkanen claimed the churches were much younger, constructed between the 15th and early 16th century.

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. The youngest group is located in the historical provinces of Satakunta and Ostrobothnia. In this period, new churches were also completed in regions where they already existed. The last medieval stone churches were built in the 1550s.

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