Eskelhem Church ( sv, Eskelhems kyrka) is a medieval church in
Eskelhem
Eskelhem is a populated area, a socken (not to be confused with parish), on the Swedish island of Gotland. The area is rural with farms. It comprises the same area as the administrative Eskelhem District, established on 1January 2016.
Geography ...
on the Swedish island of
Gotland
Gotland (, ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a province, county, municipality, and diocese. The province includes the islands of Fårö and Gotska Sandön to the ...
, in the
Diocese of Visby.
History and architecture
Eskelhem Church was preceded by a wooden church, of which nothing remains. Circa 1200 it was replaced by a stone church. The walls of the
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
of the present church are all that remains of this edifice. The church was successively enlarged and rebuilt until it received its present form in the middle of the 14th century. Internally, the church is decorated with different sets of
mural
A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage.
Word mural in art
The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...
s, dating from the end of the 13th century and the 15th, the latter by the
Master of the Passion of Christ
The Passion Master ( sv, Passionsmästaren) is the name used to refer to an anonymous fresco painter and his workshop, active on Gotland during the 15th century. Works in about fifty churches have been attributed to the artist. The style of the M ...
. Among the church furnishings, the
baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture used for baptism.
Aspersion and affusion fonts
The fonts of many Christian denominations are for baptisms using a non-immersive method, such as aspersion (sprinkling) or affusion (pouring). ...
from the 12th century, probably made by the artist or workshop today referred to as
Byzantios
Byzantios is the notname of a Romanesque stone sculptor or workshop, working on Gotland in present-day Sweden during the last quarter of the 12th century. Byzantios was the first of a series of Romanesque stone sculpture workshops active on Gotl ...
, and the
triumphal cross
A rood or rood cross, sometimes known as a triumphal cross, is a cross or crucifix, especially the large crucifix set above the entrance to the chancel of a medieval church.
Alternatively, it is a large sculpture or painting of the crucifixion ...
, made around 1250 both deserve mention.
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
Official site(in Swedish)
{{Churches on Gotland
Churches in Gotland County
Churches in the Diocese of Visby
13th-century churches in Sweden
Church frescos in Sweden
Churches converted from the Roman Catholic Church to the Church of Sweden