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St Canna Church is believed to date from the 12th or 13th century. It is said to have been rebuilt in 1820, but by 1875 it was described as being deserted and full of insects, snails and weeds. A publication four years later stated that the church was 'about to be removed' because the population had moved away from the area.
The church is said to have been extensively rebuilt in 1856 with more work being done in 1869. Many of its original features were destroyed during this time period. A school room was added to the structure in 1881. In 1909 a pre-Norman cross was discovered in the garden of the church rectory. The cross is believed to date from the ninth century; it was not intact when found but was pieced together.
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.