Fardhem Church
Church in Sweden
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fardhem Church (Swedish: Fardhems kyrka) is a medieval church in Fardhem on the Swedish island of Gotland. The present-day church may have been preceded by a stave church; the current church is one of the most well-preserved Romanesque churches on Gotland, built in stages from the 12th to 13th century. It belongs to the Church of Sweden and lies in the Diocese of Visby.
| Fardhem Church | |
|---|---|
Fardhem kyrka | |
Fardhem Church, view of the exterior | |
  Fardhem Church Location on Gotland | |
| 57°15′50″N 18°20′29″E | |
| Country | Sweden |
| Denomination | Church of Sweden |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Visby |
History
According to the Gutasaga, one of the earliest churches on Gotland was built in Fardhem. If so, this was a stave church of which nothing remains today. Early graves found in the area however indicate that there might well have been a wooden church at the site of the presently visible one early on.[1][2]
The church seen today is also of considerable age. It is a Romanesque building, erected in stages from the end of the 12th century to the second quarter of the 13th century. Only the vestry is later, added in 1871-72 and designed by Axel Haig (known in Sweden by his original name Axel Herman Hägg.[1]
Architecture
The exterior of the church has a uniform, Romanesque appearance. It is considered to be one of the best-preserved Romanesque churches on Gotland (at least externally). Especially noteworthy is the choir portal. It is decorated with a few rather primitive sculpted elements, difficult to interpret. The work has been attributed to the locally active stone sculptor Hegvald[3] but may also be the work of some unknown master from Jutland. There are no comparable works on Gotland.[1][2]
The interior of the church is less well-preserved. Fragments of murals from the 14th century were discovered during a restoration in 1951–52, and are now again visible. The baptismal font is Romanesque, probably a work by the sculptor known by the notname Semi-Byzantios, but only the foot remains. Most other furnishings are from the 17th and 18th centuries.[1]
