Wood Church Design in Vesilahti Finland - A picture tour.
The oldest church parish in the Pyhäjärvi area.Who would have guessed that in 1346, information about the Catholic Church in Vesilahti is mentioned in the black books at the Dome Church Tuomiokirkko in Turku.
A south-side preview of the Vesilahti wood church design. A September morning.
The Vesilahti church building, built in 1802, on the edge of Pyhäjärvi.
A hand drawn picture of the Vesilahti church - 16th century
The bell tower on the bottom left still exist today
During certain winter hours, like 10.00 am in January, you really see how this wood church design comes alive with the help of the natural winter light.
Let's go inside...
The church is heated using an oil burning furnace. In the wintertime the inner walls help reflect the heat for a soft warm feeling.
Wintertime pictures
Shades of blue, wood supporting pillars and panelling.
The wooden block cants are cut assymilar, yet the window fits nicely into place.  Large windows letting in the morning winter light. -A blueish tint.
 After entering the front the children turn around and face the rear of the church. Up top -The white organ.
The organist sits up there, plus seating for 50 or more people.
The sounds of the organ vibrate into your body when you sit up on the mezzanine level.
The blue ceiling has yellow stars. In the dead of winter the apparent blue light from the windows match the ceiling of the church. It looks like there is blue coming though the windows.
The wood church design includes iron cross supports between upper walls.
Taken from the upper mezzanine loft. This view shows the horizontal steel cross supports helping to keep the timber wall posts level. Some are sagging, others are tought.
The blue Ceiling and Starry night -Painted first in 1842
After panning to the left of the previous picture, this view from the top floor, or second floor. Scenic!
The wood church design lighting effects using early 19th century technology, use a single light as shown in the center.
Panning to the left again, just a few meters away from the previous picture. The stars on the roof are lit up by the single light on that floor.
Wooden decking and white wood painted walls with ornamental border.
Let's look down to the front of the inner church hall, only a few meters below the previous shot.
Image of Christ on the oak cross illuminated by the morning winter light. The crucifix is from beginning of 15th century  And as the morning fades into evening.... The same Cross in the evening  A window designed to let light in. The shape of a cross reflecting white light onto cross. Just a few meters from this brilliantly placed window near the cross is a popular Saint and Apostle... St. Peter carved out of wood.  The Vesilahti parish or mother church, once hallowed to St. Peter and St.Paul.
How did they decide where to build this church? That is Easy!
In the 15th and 17th century, this is how:
- Priests put pictures of the saints on a wooden float (lautta).
- The waves of the Lake Pyhäjärvi moved the pictures precicely to that shore where the church would be built.
And so the pictures arrived in Vesaniemi, Vesilahti, where there have been been 6-7 churches.
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The complete podium and the staircase leading upward.
Around the wood church design in Vesilahti
Outside the wood church Premises - Some interesting sights
The 7.2 m x 8.4 m, 14 century stone sacristy from the Catholic era is now a church museum. Inside you find among other middle aged relics, stone/mortar masoned cupboards.  The stone sacristy burned down once in 1602
Viewing the wood church after exiting the stone sacristy  Wood church design -left ; granite stone -right side
 The large key to open the door of the sacristy.
Where is the Vesilahti wood church? Go to this map page to the second map. The map will have a camera icon
Go from this page: "Wood Church Design" to: "Main Page"
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