Medieval churches in Sweden

Södra Ving Church

The oldest parts of Södra Ving date from the 12th century. It is known of its remarkable stone sculptures and paintings from three different periods of the Middle Ages. The Gothic mural paintings in middle nave date from the 1400s. There are also two runestones in the churchyard.
Founded: 12th century | Location: Hökerum, Sweden

Simlinge Church

Simlinge Church was built around the year 1200. The bell tower was erected in 1852. The altarpiece depicts the Last supper, and the pulpit dates from year 1623.
Founded: c. 1200 | Location: Trelleborg, Sweden

Trosa Country Church

The oldest parts of Trosa Country Church (lands kyrka) were built in the 1200s. The sacristy was added later in the 1300s, vaults and tower in the 1400s. The strong tower may have had a defensive purpose. In 1773 church was badly damaged by fire and restored. The altarpiece is painted in Netherlands in the mid-1500s. The pulpit was made in Stockholm in 1706. The crucifix dates from the end of 1200s and wooden sculpture of ...
Founded: 13th century | Location: Vagnhärad, Sweden

Elinghem Church Ruins

Elinghem church was built in the 13th century and probably abandoned in the early 17th century. The altar with piscina and baptismal font still remain.
Founded: 13th century | Location: Hangvar, Sweden

Karl Church Ruins

Karl Church was built in the late 1200s and enlarged later. The tower collapsed at some point during 16th or 17th centuries and the church was abandoned in 1796. Today only remains of stone walls exist.
Founded: 13th century | Location: Norrtälje, Sweden

Gerum Church

The oldest parts of Gerum Church are the choir and apse, dating from circa 1200 and Romanesque in style. The presently visible, Gothic nave dates from a later time of the 13th century and probably replaced an earlier, Romanesque nave. The tower, which was never finished, was built circa 1300. The only non-medieval part of the church is the sacristy, built in 1835. Gerum Church is constructed of limestone. The exterior is ...
Founded: c. 1200 | Location: Gerum, Sweden

Guldrupe Church

The oldest parts of Guldrupe church is the nave, dating from the late 12th century. Oak planks decorated with dragons have however been found on the site, and indicate that there may have existed an earlier, wooden church on the spot. The tower dates from the early 13th century, and from the end of the same century dates the un-proportionally large choir and sacristy. The choir replaced an earlier, smaller choir, but plan ...
Founded: 12th century | Location: Guldrupe, Sweden

Kårsta Church

Kårsta church was built in the 1400s but replaced an older church built of wood. The sacristy is the oldest part and was built during the 1200s. In the Western church gable is a runestone walled 'Alrik erected the stone and make the bridge'. The church is wrapped tightly around Kårsta village"s well preserved buildings. In addition to residential buildings there are two school buildings, one from 1848 an ...
Founded: 1400s | Location: Vallentuna, Sweden

Hulterstad Church

The construction of defensive tower, the oldest part of Hulterstad Church, was completed around the year 1200. There are also some remains of older building from the early 1100’s below the ground. In 1803 the church was reconstructed to the present, single-nave and rectangular shape. The interior originates from several centuries. Oldest artefacts are the baptismal font and the painted consecration cross from Middl ...
Founded: ca. 1200 | Location: Mörbylånga, Sweden

Ås Church

The medieval stone church of Ås date back to the 12th century. It is the only church in Öland where the tower is located in the east side. The church was enlarged in 1770 and the interior is mainly from the 18th-19th centuries. The pulpit is very unusual; this nineteenth century work is directly above the altar, an arrangement rarely seen in Swedish churches. The church is long established as a landmark for sea ...
Founded: 12th century | Location: Mörbylånga, Öland, Sweden

Björklinge Church

The church of Björklinge was built originally in the early 14th century. It was enlarged in the 15th century and the present appearance originates mainly from the restoration made in 1655. The church contains a triptych and a sandstone font made before the Reformation. There are five stained glass windows made in 1658. The current altarpiece was carved in 1714. The church has also a rare 18th century organ, which h ...
Founded: 14th century, restored 1658 | Location: Uppsala, Sweden

Danmark Church

The first written record of church in Danmark locality date back to the year 1291. Close to the church are several stones with a Christian text and cross inscribed. The oldest parts of the present red-brick church are from the 1300s. In the late 1400s the church was enlarged to the appearance it has today. The church has been modified both internally and externally several times, among other things after the fires in 1699 ...
Founded: 14th century | Location: Uppsala, Sweden

Heda Church

The oldest parts of Heda Church were built in the early 1100s. It was renovated to the Cistercian style in the late 13th century. The church was enlarged between 1855-1858. The most interesting detail in Heda church is the fine collection of medieval wooden sculptures. The most famous of these is a remarkably well preserved wooden sculpture of the Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven, which is more than eight hundred years old ...
Founded: 12th century | Location: Ödeshög, Sweden

Häverö Church

Häverö Church was built around the year 1300. The mural paintings in vaults date from 1470. The belfry, built in the style of Norwegian Stave churches, date from the 16th century and is one the oldest in Sweden. The magnificent altar was made in Antwerpen in the early 16th century.
Founded: ca. 1300 | Location: Norrtälje, Sweden

Martebo Church

The medieval church of Marterbo is well-known of its beautifully carved portals. The tower originates from the previous, Romanesque style church. The middle nave and sacristy were built in the 14th century and restored in the 19th century. The pulpit, made in the mid-1500s, is one of the oldest in Gotland. The babtismal font date from the 13th century, altar and epitaph from the late 17th century.
Founded: 13th century | Location: Tingstäde, Sweden

Valleberga Church

Valleberga Church is the only known fortified round church in Scania. It was built of limestone in the middle of the 12th century. A reason for the building of the round church was that the master mason of the church, Carl Stenmester, also built churches on Bornholm, where round churches were common. The font was cut by the master of Tryde and shows one of the legends about Saint Peter and Paul of Tarsus. In 1791, the ro ...
Founded: 12th century | Location: Löderup, Sweden

Bonderup Church

Bonderup Church was built in Romanesque style in the 12th century. The vaulting was added in the 15th century and the tower in 1850. The tower was damaged by lightning in 1916 and rebuilt. The altarpiece dates from the 1600s.
Founded: 12th century | Location: Lund, Sweden

Husby Church

Husby Church is one of the oldest churches in the Dalarna region. Beautifully situated on the banks of the Dalälven river, this building can trace its origins back to the early 14th century. It contains a fine collection of medieval inventory that is bound to fascinate the visitor. It also contains one of the most interesting organs in the country, the Nils Söderström organ.
Founded: 14th century | Location: Dala-husby, Sweden

Bälinge Church

Bälinge Church dates back to the end of 1100s. In the mid-1300s Bo Jonsson (Grip) built near Sundboholm castle and probably the church choir was also reconstructed then as well as the new sacristy. The Gyllenstierna family chapel was added in 1656. The belfry dates from 1762. The inner walls are decorated with several medieval consecration crosses and murals painted by master Peder between 1621-1622. The altar and p ...
Founded: 12th century | Location: Tystberga, Sweden

Roslags-Bro Church

Roslags-Bro church was built of granite in the 13th century. It was built by an important sea-route, since disappeared as a consequence of the post-glacial rebound. Immured in the church is a runestone from the 11th century. The tower was added in the 1400s and restored in 1700s. The church is famous due its fine sculptures. The wooden sculpture of Eric IX of Sweden, made in France in 1200s, has been model to Stockholm c ...
Founded: 13th century | Location: Norrtälje, Sweden

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Monte d'Accoddi

Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.

The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.

The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.

Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.

The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.

The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.