Porvoo Cathedral

Porvoo Cathedral sits on a rocky hill above the wooden old town of the Finnish coastal town of Porvoo. The late-15th-century church is a classic example of Finnish brick Gothic, with an exposed brick gable and a distinctive free-standing wooden bell tower. Historically significant: in 1809 Tsar Alexander I convened here the first Diet of Finland, founding the Grand Duchy of Finland as an autonomous part of Russia - a moment that shaped Finnish national identity. In 2006 the roof was badly damaged by arson but the interior survived; restoration was completed in 2008. Today the cathedral is the seat of the Swedish-speaking diocese of Borga and draws around 200,000 visitors a year. Finnish-language services have been held in the neighbouring wooden church since 1740.