The grey-stone church of Ärentuna was built around the year 1300. It was probably inaugurated in 1302, when archbishop Nils Allesson visited in Ärentuna parish. The original barrel vault of wood was replaced by brick-made cross-vaults before the church's reopening in 1435. The well-preserved mural paintings, made by unknown “Ärentuna master” date also from 1440-1450s. The bell-tower was reconstructed in 1772.
References:The stone church of Gamla Uppsala, built over the pagan temple, dates from the early 12th century. Due to fire and renovations, the present church is only a remnant of the original cathedral.
Before the arrival of Christianity in Sweden, Gamla Uppsala was the seat of Swedish kings and a ceremonial site known all over northern Europe. The settlement was home to royal palaces, a royal burial ground, and a great pagan temple. The Uppsala temple, which was described in detail by Adam of Bremen in the 1070s, housed wooden statues of the Norse gods Odin, Thor and Freyr. A golden chain hung across its gables and the inside was richly decorated with gold. The temple had priests, who sacrificed to the gods according to the needs of the people.
The first Christian cathedral was probably built in the 11th century, but finished in the 12th century. The stone building may have been preceded by a wooden church and probably by the large pagan temple.