Eksta Church () is a medieval church in
Eksta on the
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
island of
Gotland
Gotland (; ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a Provinces of Sweden, province/Counties of Sweden, county (Swedish län), Municipalities of Sweden, municipality, a ...
, in the
Diocese of Visby
The Diocese of Visby () is a division of the Church of Sweden consisting of the island of Gotland. Its seat is Visby Cathedral located in the largest town on Gotland, Visby.
The Bishop of Visby is also responsible for the episcopal oversight of ...
. The church underwent substantial changes during a restoration in 1838.
History and architecture
The oldest part of Eksta Church is the tower, dating from the 13th century and still unchanged. The rest of the church is also from the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
, but was heavily rebuilt in 1838.
The church still has four medieval portals, in both
Romanesque and
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language
** Gothic ( ...
style.
The interior of the church is largely
Neoclassical, dating from the 1838 renovation.
[ A few traces of medieval murals have survived on the walls, as have a single ]stained glass
Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
window pane – a rare example of ''in situ'' medieval stained glass in Sweden
The surviving amount of medieval stained glass in Sweden is relatively small, compared to some other European countries. There are in total 165 medieval stained glass panes with Figurative art, figurative depictions surviving in 37 churches, cons ...
.
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
Official site
(in Swedish)
{{Authority control
Churches in Gotland County
Churches in the Diocese of Visby
13th-century churches in Sweden
Churches converted from the Roman Catholic Church to the Church of Sweden