Medieval churches in Sweden

Kyrkoköpinge Church

Kyrkoköpinge Church was probably built in a Romanesque style in the late 1100s. Originally it consisted of a nave, a chancel and a vestibule. It had a flat wooden roof but this was replaced with a cross vault in the Middle Ages. At the same time one more tower in the west and a porch in the south was built. Because of the closeness to Gylle church, Kyrkoköpinge and Gylle had the same reverend during a long time. ...
Founded: 12th century | Location: Trelleborg, Sweden

Boge Church

Boge Church chancel was built in the 13th century and the tower was erected later during the same century. It collapsed in a strom in 1858 and was rebuilt between 1867-1892. The limestone font was made around 1250, pulpit in 1727 and altar screen in 1750.
Founded: 13th century | Location: Slite, Sweden

Stora Slågarp Church

Stora Slågarp Church was built in Romanesque style in the late 1100s. In the late Middle Ages it was extended and had roof with cross vaults. On the ceiling of the chancel there are medieval frescoes. The tower was added in 1883. The church has a baptismal font in sandstone from the 1100s , and the pulpit from year 1776 was earlier in Lilla Slågarp church.
Founded: 12th century | Location: Trelleborg, Sweden

Västra Alstad Church

Västra Alstad church was originally built in the 1100s, but only the lower part of the tower is from that time. The nave was erected in 1840-1841 and expanded with a new chancel in 1898. The reredos and the pulpit date from 1598, but the reredos was repainted in 1695. The baptismal font from 1944 is made of limestone and made by the artist Anders Jönsson from Stockholm.
Founded: 12th century | Location: Trelleborg, Sweden

Västra Tommarp Church

Västra Tommarp Church was built around year 1200 of flintstone. In the 17th century the gables of the chancel and nave was renovated and got a style similar to baroque. The baptismal font is made of sandstone and has a font basin in tin. Both of them and the calix originate from the 1600s. In year 1649 the pulpit was created.
Founded: c. 1200 | Location: Trelleborg, Sweden

Västra Vemmerlöv Church

Västra Vemmerlöv church was built in 1100s in a Romanesque style. In the 1850s the church experienced a remodeling by Carl Georg Brunius. The upper parts of the tower were changed and the vaults in the nave were demolished. Late medieval frescoes are preserved in the interior. The baptismal font is made of sandstone and has sculptured lions. It originates from the early Middle Ages.
Founded: 12th century | Location: Trelleborg, Sweden

Varnum Church

Varnum church dates probably from the 1100s, but was enlarged in the late 1400s and in 1745. the pulpit and altar were made in 1694. The medieval triumph crucifix (1200s) and font (1100s) are the oldest inventory in the church.
Founded: 12th century | Location: Hökerum, Sweden

Gärdhem Old Church Ruins

The old church of Gärdhem was built in the 12th century. The porch was probably added in the late Middle Ages. It was enlarged in 1727-1731, but in 1860 the parish decided to build a new church 1km to south. The old church was left to decay. The ruins were excavated in 1942-1943. Today stone walls remain.
Founded: 12th century | Location: Trollhättan, Sweden

Finnekumla Church

The oldest part of single-nave Finnekumla church dates from the 12th century, but it has been restored and enlarged several times, last time in the 19th century. The wooden tower dates from 1855. The font dates from the original church. There is also a rare handbook of church events from the year 1586.
Founded: 12th century | Location: Vegby, Sweden

Härna Church

Härna church dates from the 12th or 13th century, but it was largely rebuilt in the in the 17th century and renovated in 1838. The sandstone-made font dates from the original church. The altarpiece was painted in the 17th century and it was a gift from Börje Nilsson Drakenberg. The external belfry was erected in 1737.
Founded: 12th century | Location: Hökerum, Sweden

Knätte Church

The nave and choir of Knätte Church date probably from the 13th century. It was damaged by Danish army in 1520. The sacristy is modern, but there are two medieval doors. The font dates from the late 1100s, pulpit from 1600s and altarpiece from the 19th century.
Founded: 13th century | Location: Ulricehamn, Sweden

Kärråkra Church

Kärråkra Church dates from the late 1100s or early 1200s. There are oak logs in the church dating from even earlier stave church. The vaults were rebuilt in 1729-1730. The tower dates from 1910. The font is medieval.
Founded: 12th century | Location: Blidsberg, Sweden

Gårdstånga Church

Gårdstånga church dates from the 13th century. The pulpit (1612), altarpiece (1612) and font (1621) are the works of Danish sculptor and carver Jakob Kremberg, who was a prominent maker of church carvings in Skåne during the reign of Christian IV, King of Denmark and Norway.
Founded: 12th century | Location: Gårdstånga, Sweden

Kullerstad Church

Kullerstad church is a whitewashed Romanesque stone church dating from the 13th century. It is known of two Gunnar"s bridge runestones: according runes there was a man named Håkon who dedicated a bridge to the memory of his son Gunnar. The first runestone was found in the exterior wall of the church of Kullerstad in 1969 and is raised in the cemetery. The second stone was discovered in a church only 500 metres ...
Founded: 13th century | Location: Norrköping, Sweden

Gann Church Ruins

Gann Church was built in the middle of the 13th century in the locality of Lärbro. The church consists of a chancel, nave and tower. The tower rests on the west wall of the nave. The tower was presumably built in the late 13th century. The church was presumably abandoned as early as in the 16th century. The chancel and arch contain mural paintings.
Founded: 13th century | Location: Lärbro, Sweden

Othem Church

Othem church was built in Romanesque style in the 13th century to the site of older 12th century church. There are medieval frescoes in walls from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. The altarpiece dates from 1693 and pulpit from 1730s. 
Founded: 13th century | Location: Slite, Sweden

Hall Church

Hall Church is a medieval Lutheran church in Hall on the Swedish island of Gotland. Hall Church dates from the 13th century. Oldest are the nave and choir, built in the second quarter of the century. The tower is somewhat later. Stylistically it is transitional between Romanesque and Gothic architecture. With one central column and four bays, forming two aisles, the nave of the church is the simplest structure fitting the ...
Founded: 13th century | Location: Hall, Sweden

Lummelunda Church

The nave and tower are the oldest parts of the church in Lummelunda. They were both erected circa 1200. Originally, a choir built at the same time formed part of the church. This choir was razed in the middle of the 14th century, and the presently, disproportionally large choir was built instead. The rebuilding of the choir was intended as the beginning of a complete reconstruction scheme, but only the choir was executed. ...
Founded: c. 1200 | Location: Lummelunda, Sweden

Hejnum Church

The Romanesque tower is the oldest part of Hejnum Church. It originally formed part of a Romanesque church, but the nave and choir were replaced during the mid-13th century by the presently visible, more Gothic parts. Remains of the original church were discovered during an excavation in 1914. A runic inscription above the western portal of the tower bears the inscription 'Botvid master mason'. The church remain ...
Founded: 13th century | Location: Hejnum, Sweden

Fole Church

The current Fole church was preceded by a Romanesque stone church. Of this church, the tower remains and is thus the oldest part of Fole Church, dating from ca. 1200. The Romanesque church was gradually replaced with the current, more Gothic church. During the middle of the 13th century, the choir and about half of the nave were rebuilt, and a few decades later, the rest of the nave. The rebuilt church was inaugurated in ...
Founded: c. 1200 | Location: Fole, 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.