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Founded: 1753Category: Religious sites in Sweden
Historical period: The Age of Liberty (Sweden)
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The old church was originally constructed in 1753, but burned down totally in 1972 and was reinaugurated in 1976. The exterior was remade exactly as it had been earlier. The colors within the church – blue and red – relate to the colors on the Sámi traditional costume from the Jokkmokk area.The church is open for visitors during summer and the winter market.
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.