Nastolan kirkko - Nastola, Finland
Posted by: 
marcius
N 60° 56.928 E 025° 55.724
35V E 441968 N 6757558
The wooden church of Nastola, of cruciform plan with even-sized cross-arms was built in 1802-1804 by Matias (Matts) Åkergren, a well-known church-builder of Ruovesi.
Waymark Code: WMFCF7
Location: Finland
Date Posted: 09/28/2012
Views: 83
"During the Middle Ages, Nastola became a chapelric of the congregation of Hollola and a separate congregation in 1860. The belfry dates from the period of the previous church and was moved to its present location in 1804. The altarpiece, by an unknown artist, was donated to the church in 1826 and hung in a Baroque-style frame from the old church. Dating from the 1660s, the frame bears the coats of arms of the von Poll and von Essen families, who were the donators. The present colour of the frame dates from repairs carried out in 1935, when the artist Lauri Välke carved the figures of the evangelists for the pulpit and painted the twelve apostles on the railing of the organ loft. "The Burial of Christ" painted by Ilmari Launis was the altarpiece from 1907 to 1935 and it is now on the wall of the north wing of the church. The most recent repairs of the church were carried out in 2000-2001. Nastola Church seats over 1,000.
The present church was preceded by a church built in the 17th century, which was situated at the site of the present cemetery of the war dead. This church was torn down in 1803, and there is a commemorative plaque to it on the wall of the gate vault leading to the cemetery. The memorial (1949) of the war-dead cemetery was designed by the architect Sirkka Tarumaa and the gate by the architect Elis Kaalamo."
www.lahdenmuseot.fi