Details
Founded: 1812Category: Religious sites in Sweden
Historical period: Union with Norway and Modernization (Sweden)
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The beautiful granite tower, which was built by the parishioners, was completed in 1812. Nothing remains of the old church that originated from the 13th century. It was torn down and replaced by the present church in 1868. The Church of Västra Vemmenhög is beautifully situated on a hill. The altarpiece was made in 1618 and the cruficix dates from the 15th century. The church bell was made in 1793.
References: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.