Lau Church

Lau, Sweden

The first Christian church was probably a wooden church. Of this church there is no trace, but the baptismal font in the Church today has probably belonged to this church. In the 1220s a new stone church of considerable size was built in round-headed Romanesque style and consisted of a nave with four pillars, chancel with two cross-arms and apse, an extension in the rear of the chancel where the altar was placed. A large tower in the west would be part of the building, but it never came to execution. The nave is left intact to this day. Lau church is the island’s largest country church. It is famous for its unique acoustics.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

144, Lau, Sweden
See all sites in Lau

Details

Founded: 1220s
Category: Religious sites in Sweden
Historical period: Consolidation (Sweden)

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Beate Finke (3 years ago)
Very beautiful church
Jasper van der Capellen (3 years ago)
Beautiful church with interesting photo exhibition with information about the history of the area. However, the interiors were not as rich as churches usually are.
Anders Larsson (3 years ago)
A lovely medieval church that is very different from other churches both outside and inside, well worth a visit
Gustav Randér (4 years ago)
A unique and fantastic church, undeniably worth a visit. Contains enriching exhibits on the history of the parish when I visited Lau, which gave a vivid picture of the past and its population.
Markus Roupe (4 years ago)
Awesome acoustics go your way and sing vettja!
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

The Church of the Holy Cross

The church of the former Franciscan monastery was built probably between 1515 and 1520. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Rauma. The church stands by the small stream of Raumanjoki (Rauma river).

The exact age of the Church of the Holy Cross is unknown, but it was built to serve as the monastery church of the Rauma Franciscan Friary. The monastery had been established in the early 15th century and a wooden church was built on this location around the year 1420.

The Church of the Holy Cross served the monastery until 1538, when it was abandoned for a hundred years as the Franciscan friary was disbanded in the Swedish Reformation. The church was re-established as a Lutheran church in 1640, when the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity was destroyed by fire.

The choir of the two-aisle grey granite church features medieval murals and frescoes. The white steeple of the church was built in 1816 and has served as a landmark for seafarers.