About this site
Kempeleen old church is among Finland's oldest wooden churches. The 17th-century wooden church, the 18th-century bell tower, and the new church from the 1990s on the other side of the churchyard form a historically layered building group on a sandy ridge with pine trees. The old church, which has one buttress, has been extended several times; originally only a sacristy was attached to the nave. The shingle-covered church's nave has a saddle roof and in the western gable a tall pointed tower. On the old church's walls and vault are Mikael Toppelius's paintings from the 1780s. Of these, the Annunciation of Mary on the north wall and the Descent from the Cross on the west wall are among the finest artworks of the 18th century. The pulpit and the figure of St. Christopher supporting it are from the 18th century. The new church completed in 1994, designed by architect Jorma Teppo, is united with the old environment as an element defined by the false perspective of the entrance porch. The old church is now used only in summer.
Official description (Museovirasto) — machine-translated from Finnish
- Municipality
- Kempele