Ulvila Church
| St. Olaf's church | |
|---|---|
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| General information | |
| Location | Ulvila, Finland |
| Coordinates | 61°26′37″N 21°52′57″E / 61.44361°N 21.88250°ECoordinates: 61°26′37″N 21°52′57″E / 61.44361°N 21.88250°E |
| Construction started | 1495 |
| Completed | 1510 |
St. Olaf's Church (also known as Ulvila Church, Finnish: Pyhän Olavin kirkko or Ulvilan kirkko) is a medieval fieldstone church in the Western Finnish town of Ulvila. The church is dedicated to St. Olaf. It is considered as one of the most significant medieval buildings in Finland. St. Olaf's Church is located near the river Kokemäenjoki, 2 kilometres from the town center and 8 kilometres outside the city of Pori.
The first church of Ulvila was built in Liikistö area, some 1,5 kilometres east of present church. Liikistö church was constructed in the 12th or 13th century. The exact age of St. Olaf's Church is not known since the lack of reliable sources. The cemetery was consecrated in 1347 and the first church at the present location was destroyed by fire in 1429. Today the historians believe that St. Olaf's Church was completed few decades after the fire, approximately 1495–1510. The bell tower was built in 1750s and the present steeple was designed by architect C. T. von Chiewitz in 1862.
Two Finnish noblemen, colonel Axel Kurck and stadtholder Gödik Fincke, a commander at the Cudgel War, are buried at the church. During the 2005 renovation archaeologists discovered the largest medieval coin treasure in Finland. It was buried under the sacristy wall in late 14th century. The hoard included 1476 silver coins.
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