Viksta Church

Uppsala, Sweden

Viksta Church is a medieval church located north of Uppsala. Viksta Church was built circa 1280. An earlier, probably wooden roof and ceiling was replaced by the present roof supported by vaults sometime between 1430 and 1460. The frescos which decorate the vaults were painted in 1503. The church still largely retains its medieval appearance; the biggest change made after the Reformation was an enlargement of the windows carried out in 1761. The eastern (choir) wall still has the original medieval windows. On the same wall are some unusually well-made gable decorations made with brick. The external, wooden belfry was built in 1744-45 while the cemetery wall still contains two medieval lychgates.

The church contains a number of medieval art objects. The wooden triumphal cross is medieval, and so is a gilded copper processional cross (14th century). Another precious item is a chalice from the early 16th century. In the choir stands two wooden sculptures from the Middle Ages depicting female saints, one of which has been identified as Bridget of Sweden.

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Address

Viksta, Uppsala, Sweden
See all sites in Uppsala

Details

Founded: c. 1280
Category: Religious sites in Sweden
Historical period: Consolidation (Sweden)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.2/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Björn Nilsson (3 years ago)
Good choice when to walk on….
Eric A.L. Axner (5 years ago)
An easily likeable church, just the right size for it’s location, and it and the cemetery are well looked after and possess a calm atmosphere.
elvira (6 years ago)
Such a nice church! Love that building.
Jari Ahonen (6 years ago)
An old and beautiful church
Yulia Andersen (8 years ago)
Very bad road for road biking. Nothing to do with the church itself though
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Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.

Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.

There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.