Ylistaro Church

Ylistaro was a chapel parish of Isonkyrö from 1658 until 1859, when it became an independent parish. It was annexed to the Seinäjoki parish as a chapel parish in the 2009 reform. The current church is the third built for the parish. It was completed in 1850 and consecrated in May 1852.

The planning of the new church started in the 1840s when the old church had become too small to accommodate the parishioners. People in Ylistaro wanted to build a wooden church, but the Emperor of Russia ordered that the parish, which was under imperial control, was to have a stone-built church. The location of the new church was also the subject of debate. At the time, Ylistaro with its 8,000 residents was Finland’s largest Finnish-speaking chapel parish. The church had to be able to accommodate all churchgoers, and the new building was the third largest church in Finland at the time.

The church was one of the first examples of early Gothic Revival in Finland. The handsome stone and brick construction was designed by state architect E. Lohrman. The galleries are located on two levels on both sides, and after a renovation project carried out in the 1970s, the church now has a seating capacity of 2,500. The vaulted church features a large arch window above the 1888 altarpiece by Adolf von Becker, which depicts the Transfiguration of Christ. The church is 52 metres long and 26 metres wide. The main cross at the top of the tower reaches 52 metres.