Vamlingbo Church

Burgsvik, Sweden

In the Medieval Period, Vamlingbo was the largest parish in the south of Gotland. A stone church was built here at a very early date. Remains of the original church can still be seen by way of sculptures that have been incorporated in the south wall of the nave of the new church. The baptismal font is also from the original church.

The present church was built of sandstone in the 13th century. The steeple was struck by lightning in 1817. The top of the tower collapsed, and was replaced by a lower, simpler one. Nine crossed vaults can be seen in the nave, borne up by four sturdy supports.

Many of the murals are of the same age as the church. There is a huge fresco on the north side of the nave interior – it depicts the angel Michael weighing the Emperor Henry’s soul. There are also several tombstones and commemorative paintings in memory of people buried in the church. The reredos date from the 13th century, and the pulpit from 17th century.

The church has also been renovated several times during the 20th century. South of the church is what might be Gotland’s most magnificent parsonage. From the road, you can see the impressive driveway leading to the main house, with two long wings and two pairs of gateposts.

One wing is a barn and the other a cowhouse. The priest’s dwelling-house and two smaller wings, from the late 18th century, are in the house garden. The house is two-storeyed, and has retained its outer appearance. The beautiful entrance has been furnished with striking details in sandstone. The wings originally functioned as a brewhouse, baking oven, meat store and farm-hand’s quarters. The parsonage now houses the Museum Lars Jonsson.

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Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Religious sites in Sweden
Historical period: Consolidation (Sweden)

More Information

www.segotland.se

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

VL Detecting (5 years ago)
A nice church with a fancy and old door. Very nice interior and generally a unique church!
Ola Åkesson (6 years ago)
Nice for us church enthusiasts
Kjell Gladh (6 years ago)
Gotland's best cardamom buns?
Jolene Alley (6 years ago)
Very interesting site!! Lot's of information.
Johanna Suders (6 years ago)
Beautiful medieval Gothic church, beautiful gardens adjacent to Lars Johnsson's museum where you can buy fantastic good coffee and food. Garden Sales, Art and Natural Room.
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