Hall Church is a medieval Lutheran church in Hall on the Swedish island of Gotland. Hall Church dates from the 13th century. Oldest are the nave and choir, built in the second quarter of the century. The tower is somewhat later. Stylistically it is transitional between Romanesque and Gothic architecture. With one central column and four bays, forming two aisles, the nave of the church is the simplest structure fitting the definition of a hall church.
Internally, the church is decorated with frescos that were uncovered during a renovation in 1956. The frescos on the northern wall of the choir are from the 14th century and depict the tree of life, Mary with Christ, Christ on the cross and Christ in a mandorla. The frescos on the southern wall date from 1603 and depict two men in Renaissance clothes kneeling by Christ on the cross. In the nave, additional frescos from the 14th century exist, depicting the Coronation of the Virgin and the weighing of souls.
The triumphal cross is a copy of the original, today found in the Museum of Gotland in Visby. The original, from the 12th century, is supposedly one of the oldest wooden sculptures with still original paint in Europe. Most other furnishings are from post-Reformation times. So for example are the pews from the 17th and 18th centuries, and the pulpit from 1619. The church has a votive ship from 1871.
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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.