About this site
Stone church, medieval. Renko's medieval Church of Saint Jacob is located along Häme's ox road on the bank of Renkajoki. The stone church is in the form of an elongated octagon, a long church rectangular with angular ends. The nave is flanked by a sacristy with a hipped roof and a weapon house with a saddle roof. Renko church's octagonal ground plan, known from early Christian baptistery tradition, was exceptional in church architecture at the time of construction. In its current form, with rectangular ends, it has stood since the repairs in the 1780s and later in the late 19th century. The 18th-century repair works were preceded by the building falling into disrepair in the 17th century, when the church's vaulted ceiling collapsed and the walls partially crumbled. The church has many furnishings from the 18th and 19th centuries, including candlesticks and altar textiles. The bells in the church's octagonal tower – known as a flèche – are from 1800 and 1981. The church's oldest bell, reportedly from 1511 and damaged, is in the former parish granary built in 1839 beside the church. A major restoration was carried out a few decades ago. A heated limestone floor was installed, the pews were renewed, and the decorative forms of the ceiling friezes were restored. The lighting was also renewed. The churchyard is surrounded by an old grey stone wall.
Official description (Museovirasto) — machine-translated from Finnish
- Municipality
- Hämeenlinna