Pyhän Hengen kappeli, Medieval chapel in central Turku, Finland.
Pyhän Hengen kappeli is a medieval chapel located in the basement level of the Julin block in central Turku. The space integrates archaeological remains discovered during excavations in 1986 and contains the burial remains of approximately 650 individuals.
The site originally housed the Holy Spirit Hospital from the 1390s, which operated until the Protestant Reformation in the early 16th century. Archaeological layers also reveal traces of an unfinished church begun in 1588 that was never completed.
The chapel functions as an ecumenical space where different Christian denominations gather for worship and prayer. Visitors can observe how various faith communities share this sacred ground for their spiritual practices.
The chapel is accessed through the Casagrande building in downtown Turku and sits below street level. It helps to allow time for viewing since the underground space showcases archaeological details that are illuminated to highlight their features.
The space reveals an unexpected layering of different periods: hospital foundations, remains of the planned church, and later structures built on top. This overlapping of phases makes the chapel a kind of archaeological puzzle showing medieval Turku's building history.
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