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Founded: 1647Category: Religious sites in Sweden
Historical period: Swedish Empire (Sweden)
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The oldest parts of the present stone church in the Arvika originate from the mid-17th century, but there has been before a medieval wooden church dedicated to St. Michael. The existing stone church consists of a rectangular nave with a triangular choir, vestry and tower. The construction of the church began in 1647, but was not completely finished in the 17th century. The current appearance is derived from a radical transformation made in the 1780s, partly by C.F. Adelcrantz drawings.
the altarpiece was made by Isaac Schullström in 1765 and the pulpit of Isaac Schullström dates from the 1739. On the church's north side stands a statue made by Christian Eriksson. The artist is buried right in front of the statue. Tomb chapel at the cemetery was built in 1923, the church is also a parish magazine and a parish hall. Cemetery is bounded by a drywall.
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.