Porvoo cathedral (Finnish: Porvoon tuomiokirkko, Swedish: Borgå domkyrka) is a cathedral in Porvoo, Finland. It was built in the 15th century, although the oldest parts date from the 13th century.[1] It is used by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and is the seat of the Diocese of Borgå, Finland's Swedish-speaking diocese. The cathedral is also used for services by the Porvoo Finnish-speaking parish, which is administratively part of the Diocese of Helsinki.
The church was originally made of wood. The first stone walls were built between 1410 and 1420 and in about 1450 the church was expanded four meters towards east and six meters towards south.
The church has been destroyed by fire numerous times; in 1508 by Danish and in 1571, 1590, and 1708 by Russian forces. On May 29, 2006, the outer roof collapsed after arson, however with the inner ceiling undamaged and the cathedral interiors intact. Kalle Holm, an eighteen year old black metal musician, was found guilty and convicted to three years and two months imprisonment on August 31, 2006.[2][3] The Court of Appeals later increased the sentence to six years and six months on May 15, 2007.[4] A further appeal is pending. The Cathedral was reopened on 2 July 2008.
The Cathedral was the site of opening of first Diet of Finland March 28, 1809 where Finland was declared an autonomous Grand Duchy, with the Emperor of Russia as the Grand Duke of Finland.[5]