St. Hans' & St. Peter's Church Ruins, Visby, Sweden

St. Hans and St. Peter churches were built side by side during the 1200s. St. Peter was consecrated to the apostle Peter. St. Hans, which was the larger church, was dedicated to St. John the Evangelist. It was where the Lutheran doctrine for the first time preached on the island. In 1527, however, Bishop Brask turned Lutherans out from the church. But as soon as the bishop sailed to Denmark, Lutherans worships were started again. Churches were demolished in 1600-1800s and the stone was used among others to construct Lythbergska house. In 1982 a beautifully decorated gravestone was found in the ruins of in St. Hans, dating from 1050s.

References:

User Reviews

Bailey Bruce (2 years ago)
Beautiful setting,very relaxed amongst the ruins in the outside garden.The service from staff was ok but could be much better.I want to feel loved and cherished when spending my hard earnt money.x

Tony Arkey (2 years ago)
Our visit coincided with a renowned Mardi Gras swing band in full swing over lunch . A memorable few hours. Oh and the food choice was really good. Iconic cafe set amongst the castle ruins. Great for families in rear gardens amongst the famous ruins. This was one hot summers day at 34°C +/- over this past few weeks.

John Strauss (2 years ago)
Great place to sit indoors or out. The inside seating has windows wide open. Easy place to sit for an hour and ponder history

曹晓芳 (3 years ago)
The cafe is in S:t Pers ruin. Very cozy environment. You can choose to sit outside or inside, both are very nice. There is children's menu for those people visit together with their kids. The ciniman buns is not so good, but the shrimp sallad is good. They also a bar sell wines and beers.

Daniel Grönjord (3 years ago)
Café with nice outdoor seating at the small square in front and in the lovely garden with ruins in the back.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Makser

Historic Site of the week

Derbent Fortress

Derbent is the southernmost city in Russia, occupying the narrow gateway between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains connecting the Eurasian steppes to the north and the Iranian Plateau to the south. Derbent claims to be the oldest city in Russia with historical documentation dating to the 8th century BCE. Due to its strategic location, over the course of history, the city changed ownership many times, particularly among the Persian, Arab, Mongol, Timurid, Shirvan and Iranian kingdoms.

Derbent has archaeological structures over 5,000 years old. As a result of this geographic peculiarity, the city developed between two walls, stretching from the mountains to the sea. These fortifications were continuously employed for a millennium and a half, longer than any other extant fortress in the world.

A traditionally and historically Iranian city, the first intensive settlement in the Derbent area dates from the 8th century BC. The site was intermittently controlled by the Persian monarchs, starting from the 6th century BC. Until the 4th century AD, it was part of Caucasian Albania which was a satrap of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. In the 5th century Derbent functioned as a border fortress and the seat of Sassanid Persians. Because of its strategic position on the northern branch of the Silk Route, the fortress was contested by the Khazars in the course of the Khazar-Arab Wars. In 654, Derbent was captured by the Arabs.

The Sassanid fortress does not exist any more, as the famous Derbent fortress as it stands today was built from the 12th century onward. Derbent became a strong military outpost and harbour of the Sassanid empire. During the 5th and 6th centuries, Derbent also became an important center for spreading the Christian faith in the Caucasus.

The site continued to be of great strategic importance until the 19th century. Today the fortifications consist of two parallel defence walls and Naryn-Kala Citadel. The walls are 3.6km long, stretching from the sea up to the mountains. They were built from stone and had 73 defence towers. 9 out of the 14 original gates remain.

In Naryn-Kala Citadel most of the old buildings, including a palace and a church, are now in ruins. It also holds baths and one of the oldest mosques in the former USSR.

In 2003, UNESCO included the old part of Derbent with traditional buildings in the World Heritage List.

Do you know an ancient castle or magnificent church near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory.com.

It's absolutely free, easy, and doesn't even need registration!

Upload data

Looks like you are a history fan!

Do you know an ancient castle or hidden ruins near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory. It's absolutely free, easy, and you can do it even without registration (of course you an also create an free account)!

St. Hans' & St. Peter's Church Ruins

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Most beautiful castles in Lithuania

Cultural Landscape of Sintra, Portugal

The Beauty of Cinque Terre

Historic Site of the week

Derbent Fortress

Looks like you are a history fan!

Do you know an ancient castle or hidden ruins near you?