Vallentuna Church

Description

The original Vallentuna church was built around 1190. The granite church consisted of a nave, choir and tower. The sacristy was added in the 13th century. The church was enlarged in the 15th century and brick vaults were constructed in 1763. The chapel of Klingspor family was built in the 17th century. Vallentuna church was badly damaged by fire in 1856. The church was restored and the exterior was strongly reshaped.

There are several examples of rune carvings in Vallentuna church: stone-cutters who carved their names in runes when the church was being built in the late 12th century, a rune stone telling of a shipwreck mortared into the wall, and one of Jarlabanke’s own rune stones. This last stone must have cracked at some point and new carving was made on the back. On the stone, Jarlabanke tells us that he built an assize place and that he alone made all the decisions in the region. Half of a rune stone stands by the eastern wall of the cemetery.