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Founded: 12th centuryCategory: Religious sites in Sweden
Historical period: Consolidation (Sweden)
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Hyby Old Church dates back to the 12th century. On September 9, 1873, lightning struck the church, causing a subsequent fire. This accident led to the decision to build a new church not far from the old one. Hyby New Church was completed in 1877. Only the large choir of the old church was preserved, serving as a burial chapel for the noble Trolle family at nearby Klågerups Castle. This noble family had already used the church as a burial place before the fire. There were three coffins for the Trolle youth who drowned at Torup in 1775. In 1940, the coffins in the chapel were considered to be in such poor condition that they needed to be buried. In 1951, the church was restored to its current appearance.
Hyby Old Church was dedicated to St. Nicholas and consisted of a long choir and a nave with two cross vaults. The nave had a portal in the south for men and one in the north for women. During the 18th century, a tower was erected west of the nave and was crowned with a very tall spire.
The walls of the church's nave and its vaults were covered with frescoes. In the so-called 'Prästrelationer' from 1624, there are mentions of depictions of noblemen and coats of arms belonging to families such as Has and Hack in Hyby and Klågerup. Today, only the paintings in the former choir remain.
The remaining choir has two cross vaults, with the western one likely built in connection with the original church and the eastern one added during the 15th century. The vaults are covered with paintings executed by the anonymous Master Harriemästaren around 1500. The vaults feature scenes of Golgotha, the Last Judgment, and a row of apostles. In the south: Peter, Paul, Andrew, James the Elder with a pilgrim's staff, and Philip. In the west: Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon, and Jude. In the so-called tribune arch, St. Nicholas, the medieval patron saint of Hyby Church, is depicted.
References:Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.
The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.
These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.