Turku Cathedral is regarded as Finland’s most valuable monument of architectural history. It is considered the national shrine and the mother church of the Lutheran Church of Finland. The cathedral was originally constructed of wood in the 13th century. It was dedicated in 1300. The construction took place in stages up to the first decades of the 19th century. The greatest changes in appearance happened in the 15th and 16th centuries. Most of the present interior dates back to the restoration after the Great Fire of Turku (1827).Every day at noon, Finnish Radio (Yle Radio 1) broadcasts the chiming of the bells of the Cathedral clock.
The exterior of the cathedral is not the most beautiful that I have seen;however, I was captivated by its interior. The ship flying across a corner of the ceiling has votive candles (which were unlit when I was there). My images of past decades of Finns did not include any men or women dressed like the Three Musketeers or England's cavaliers, but there they are commemorated among the dead. I was enchanted by the knight lying forever in state. The morning that I was there, I was the only visitor in this house of worship. It was quiet and had a very special feeling about it. The sun shone through the windows filling it with light and peace. As you can see the first day that we were in Turku, the sun was shining and the second it was cloudy but both days were mild and it was a pleasure to be outside exploring the city.
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