Tuomiokirkonpuisto – Cathedral Park
Tuomiokirkonpuisto is one of the oldest parks in Turku. Its construction began already in 1833 when it was decided that chestnuts, lindens, and maples would be planted on the area destroyed by the Great Fire of Turku. The construction of parks and squares had a significant role in improving fire safety. The park was renovated between 1885 and 1887 based on the plan by City Gardener Oscar Rudolf Gauffin. At that time, a smallish semicircle-shaped square facing the cathedral, and the old straight-lined passageways were replaced with ones that were noticeably curvilinear. Gauffin's plan also included a smallish square in the middle of the park.
The next round of park renovations was implemented by City gardener Harald Cyrus Söderberg in 1908. The network of passageways was renovated once again, and a playground was built in the park. Over the decades, the playground grew grassy, and finally became completely overgrown, due to lack of use. 1999, the park was refurbished, based on Mr. Söderberg's plan, which included replacing the old playground with a square.
A sculpture named Ylös pyhään pyörryttävään kokeuteen by Jussi Mäntynen and a monument to Adolf Ivan Arwidsson by Harry Kivijärvi are located in the park.
Surface area: 7,100 m2
Maintenance classification: A1 Representative green area
Trees: The trees in Tuomiokirkonpuisto are mainly from the year 1835, but some plantings have been made also in 1866, 1911, and 2000. There are maples, silver maples, Caucasian wing nuts, wych elms, and lime trees in Tuomiokirkonpuisto.
The oldest parks in Turku
The best known and most valuable historical central parks in Turku are located between Turku Cathedral and the Old Great Square. The oldest plantings in the parks are from as far back as the 1830s. The parks in the area were part of the Capital of Culture Park in 2011, as Turku was also nominated as the European Capital of Culture. The history of the tree plantings and gardens in Turku reaches back hundreds of years, and it is often said that the entire gardening culture in Finland sprouted from the fertile soil of the Aura River basin. The city plan confirmed in 1828 created the preconditions for a green city structure and public urban parks.
Brochure of the oldest parks in Turku