Hagby Church, Småland
Hagby Church (Swedish: Hagby kyrka) is a medieval round church in Hagby, Kalmar County in Sweden. It belongs to the Diocese of Växjö.
History and architecture
Hagby Church dates from the late 12th century or circa 1200. It was preceded by a wooden chapel which was dedicated to Saint Sigfrid of Sweden and located a few kilometres south of the present church; by 1541 it was abandoned. The presently visible church was during the Catholic era dedicated to Saint Olaf.[1][2]
The church was built in a round shape to be able to serve both a religious purpose and a defensive one, i.e. it was a fortified church. In the upper part of the wall a total of 17 arrowslits have been identified. The interior layout of the church has changed considerably throughout the centuries. Originally it consisted of two floors, a basement floor and an upper floor that served as the church proper. The present layout of the church largely dates from a renovation carried out in 1968.[1][2]
Inside the church, there are fragments of frescos dating from the 14th century on the walls. The church contains a wooden crucifix dating from the 16th century and a baptismal font made from Gotlandic limestone. The pulpit dates from the 1760s. A silver chalice and paten dating from the 16th century was found under the church floor during a renovation in 1889, and are today part of the collections of the Swedish History Museum.[1][2]
References
- ^ a b c Jacobsson, Britta; Johansson, Eva; Johansson, Per; Andersson, Rolf (1990). Våra kyrkor (in Swedish). Västervik: Klarkullens förlag AB. p. 345. ISBN 91-971561-08.
- ^ a b c "Historia om Hagby kyrka" (in Swedish). Church of Sweden. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
External links
Media related to Hagby Church at Wikimedia Commons
