Isokyrö

Isokyrö (Swedish Storkyro ) is a municipality with 4887 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) in the western Finnish landscape Ostrobothnia. It lies in the coast hinterland on the banks of the river Kyrönjoki about halfway between the cities of Vaasa and Seinäjoki.

Today's Isokyrö is the old administrative center of the existing since the Middle Ages large community Pohjankyrö, included the much of the valley of the Kyrönjoki. In its present form, the community was founded in 1785 and includes the villages Hevonkoski, Ikola, Kuivila, Kylkkälä, Laurola, Lehmäjoki, Naarajoki, Napue, Orismala, Palhojainen, Palo, Ritaala, Tuurala, Ulvila, Yryselä, Valtaala and Ventälä.

The medieval stone church was built in the period of Isokyrö 1513-1533. Its interior is decorated in 1560 with a total of 114 wall paintings of Jaakko Geeti with biblical scenes.

On February 19 1714 the last battle of the Great Northern War was in Isokyrö near the settlement Napue beaten on Finnish soil (see Battle of Storkyro ). The Finnish-Swedish troops under Carl Gustaf Armfeldt, where many local farmers had joined, suffered heavy losses against the numerically far superior Russians. Almost all able-bodied men of the community Isokyrö died or were wounded. At the battle reminds a monument raised in 1920.

Interesting is also the stately Good Orisberg, whose church and bell tower were built in 1831 by Carl Ludwig Engel.