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The Centre of the Region
The earliest mention of Helsinge On Sundays, people used to come
Village, present-day Vantaa, dates to the church from all parts of Hel-
back to the year 1331. Helsinge Pa- singe Parish. Many had to travel a
rish Village was the centre of the great distance since the medieval
metropolitan area for a long time. Helsinge Parish was remarkably
Generations after generations larger than the present-day City of
have gathered between the walls Vantaa: it consisted of the whole Hel-
of the Church of St. Lawrence in sinki and parts of Espoo, Sipoo and
celebration and mourning. The Tuusula. People would come to the
stone church was built propab- Mass not only for the liturgical servic-
ly in the 1460’s, but a wooden es, but also to hear news and gossip
church stood on the same site from other parts of the parish.
before it.
The architect of the Church of St.
The building that currently Lawrence maight be the Master of
serves as a bell tower may be Pernaja. The Master could have been
older than the church itself. In its either one single architecht, a group
foundations, archaeologists have of architects or simply a certain style
found pieces of wood dating from of design. The Cathedral of Porvoo,
the mid-14th century. Remnants the Church of Pernaja, the Old
of a medieval vicarage lie next to Church of Sipoo and the Church of
the church as well. Pyhtää represent the same style.
