The oldest parts date from the 13th century, and the building was largely completed in the 15th. The church was originally wooden, and the first stone walls were built between 1410 and 1420. Around 1450 it was extended about 13 feet (4 m) east and 20 feet (6 m) south. The article names no architect, builder or style.
Fires destroyed the church in 1508 and 1571, and fires in 1590 and 1708 are attributed to Russian forces. On May 29, 2006 an arson fire collapsed the outer roof, while the inner ceiling and interiors were undamaged. It reopened on July 2, 2008.
It became a cathedral in 1723, when the diocese of Viipuri moved to Porvoo after Vyborg was ceded to Russia. It hosted the opening of the first Diet of Finland on March 28, 1809, and is the seat of the Diocese of Borgå.
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