Paltaniemi Picture Church

Paltaniemi’s first church was destroyed quite unusually by an earthquake. The second church was burnt down at the same time that Kajaani Castle was exploded in 1716. The current church was completed in 1726. The paintings on the ceiling and walls are by Emanuel Granberg. The large painting on the rear wall, the “Final Judgement”, was once considered so shocking that the lower portion of the painting was removed – apparently even with an axe in places. Considering the grotesque image that remains, it is fascinating to ponder what the lower portion must have contained.

In the 1990s, while the church was being renovated, the mummified remains of a woman were found under the floor. According to researchers from the National Board of Antiquities, the woman was probably buried in the 18th century and was perhaps 30 years old when she died. The mummification process was probably caused by the cold winters, as the dry corpse never decomposed. The local parish and National Board of Antiquities subsequently closed the tomb to allow the deceased to rest in peace. Altogether there are around ten tombs under the floor of the church. This practice was banned in Finland in 1804.