21st Century – The Cathedral Today

Even more than 700 years after its consecration, the Cathedral still stands proudly on Unikankare Hill, clearly visible as a landmark and symbol of Turku. Turku Cathedral is the national shrine of Finland and the main church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the country. It is also a living church: in addition to regular services, it hosts numerous concerts and other events. It serves as the home church for the Turku Cathedral Parish, the Swedish-speaking parish of Turku, and the Turku International Congregation alike.

Research on the Cathedral continues to this day. Its relics, artifacts, and construction phases still raise questions that scholars seek to answer. Genealogists, too, often find their way to the Cathedral in search of their ancestors. In the Cathedral, different centuries of Finland’s written history come together in a very tangible way.

Rising in the heart of a constantly growing Turku, the Cathedral is present in both everyday life and celebration. For many, the Advent season begins with the lighting of the Christmas tree placed in front of the Cathedral’s steps. The Cathedral is the setting for many baptisms, confirmations, and weddings—and thus it is closely intertwined with the life events and memories of countless people in Turku.

New Research – Archaeological Excavations and Relics 

At the beginning of the 21st century, in 2005, the three-year Early Turku project was launched. Its aim was to investigate the earliest phases of the city through archaeological excavations. The digs began right next to the Cathedral, in Cathedral Square, which was believed to have been at the heart of the earliest settlement. The oldest cultural layers uncovered could be dated to the late 13th century, but the number and variety of finds increased significantly only in the early 14th century. These excavations supported the view that the city of Turku was founded no earlier than the late 13th century—rather than in 1229, as had long been assumed. Likewise, the construction phases of the Cathedral are now generally dated closer to around 1300.

Read more about the results of these excavations in Finnish in Aki Pihlman’s and Kirsi Majantie’s article in Suomen keskiajan arkeologian seuran julkaisu 2/2007 (link to pdf)

During the 2000s, new research methods and renewed scholarly interest have also advanced the study of the Cathedral’s relics. These relics were originally discovered in the 1920s during archaeological investigations, both in Bishop Hemming’s reliquary and in a walled-up cupboard in the sacristy. From the outset, scholars were particularly intrigued by a skull thought to belong to Saint Henry, as well as by a silk reliquary believed to be associated with Saint Eric, containing fragments of a skull and jaw.

Relics have typically been identified in two main ways: by authentica parchment tags attached to them, or by the imagery decorating their reliquaries. Among the relics attributed to Saint Henry was a fragment of forearm bone wrapped in silk, accompanied by a parchment strip bearing the inscription “de brachio sancti Henrici”—“from the arm of Saint Henry.” The skull attributed to Saint Henry has been studied using methods such as bone density analysis, microscopic examination, and radiocarbon dating. It has been dated to the mid-12th century and is believed to have belonged to a man about 170 cm tall who lived near the sea, based on dietary evidence. So far, nothing has definitively disproven the possibility that the skull could indeed belong to Saint Henry.

The supposed reliquary of Saint Eric and its contents have also been the subject of extensive research. As early as 1954, State Archaeologist Carl Axel Nordman identified the embroidered reliquary as a product of Uppsala craftsmanship from the late 13th century. Its gold-and-silk embroidery depicts the martyrdom of Saint Eric, who, according to tradition, was murdered in a church in Uppsala in 1160. The reliquary likely came to the Cathedral around the year 1400, when Saint Eric was added as a patron saint alongside the Virgin Mary and Saint Henry.

More recent studies by researchers such as Aki Arponen, Heli Maijanen, and Visa Immonen suggest that the bones within this reliquary do not, in fact, belong to Saint Eric. The remains appear to come from several individuals, and some fragments—especially parts of the skull—may have belonged to a woman rather than a man. Radiocarbon dating has placed the bones closer to the late 13th century, which does not align with Saint Eric’s death in 1160. These findings highlight how ongoing research continues to refine—and sometimes challenge—earlier interpretations of the Cathedral’s relics.

Read the English article about the reliquary research results here (Temenos, vol. 54:2, 2018).  

The Nation’s Leading Christmas Tree

The Cathedral remains closely connected to the everyday life of the people of Turku. One long-standing tradition marking the beginning of the Christmas season is the lighting of the grand Christmas tree placed in front of the Cathedral’s steps. The first electrically lit tree was illuminated as early as 1900, astonishing those who gathered to witness it. The tradition became firmly established in the 1930s.

The tree is donated each year, and there are many willing contributors. However, it must meet high standards: it should be 20–25 meters tall and have a full, even shape. The Christmas tree arrives in Turku on the Wednesday before the first Sunday of Advent, often in a festive procession—and in recent years, its journey from forest to Cathedral has been widely covered in the media.

The lights are switched on on the Saturday evening before the first Sunday of Advent, as dusk begins to fall. Since the church year begins with Advent, the Cathedral’s 700th anniversary in 1999 was celebrated by lighting 700 candles. Since then, the number has been increased by one candle each year. The lighting ceremony officially launches the city’s Christmas festivities.

A New Renovation

The Cathedral last underwent a major renovation in the 1970s, and a new comprehensive renovation has now begun. For this reason, the Cathedral is closed from February 9, 2026, to December 2, 2028. The renovation includes the installation of updated technology, more functional facilities, and renewed building systems. The plans have been developed in cooperation with the Finnish Heritage Agency.

The aim of the renovation is to create a more inclusive and accessible Cathedral. Further details about the 2020s renovation can be found on its dedicated page.