Naantali Church

The beautiful white stone church is a capturing sight in the skyline of Naantali. The church was built between the 1460s and 80s as a church for a Catholic St. Bridget’s convent. At that time, Ailostenniemi point, which was located in the Raisio parish area, was chosen as the location because it met the requirements set for the St. Bridget’s church. In accordance with the vision of St. Bridget, the church should be situated so that there is a flicker of quiet water behind the church.

King Kristoffer of Sweden-Finland approved the establishment of a St. Bridget’s convent and its building permit was signed on August 23, 1443. The year of completion of Naantali Church is 1462, when the convent buildings were consecrated by Bishop Konrad Bitz. The magnificent baroque tower, which is an integral part of the Naantali silhouette, was completed in 1797.

Nowadays the Naantali Church is the only building that remains of the convent. The most recent renovation of the church took place in 2011- 2012, led by architect Virpi Tervonen. The lighting, interior windows, altar and some of the church textiles were repaired. The walls and vaults were cleaned, the vaults were whitewashed and old items were preserved.