När Church ( sv, Närs kyrka) is a medieval church on the Swedish island
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 ...
. It belongs to the
Church of Sweden and lies in the
Diocese of Visby.
History and architecture
The oldest part of the presently visible church at När is the tower, erected at the middle of the 13th century. Originally, it was designed to be able to function as a defensive tower, with
arrowslits still visible on the first floor. The present
nave and
choir of the church were added to the tower around the year 1300. Of an earlier,
Romanesque church on the same site no traces remain today.
Externally, the church has two portals decorated with stone sculptures on the southern façade. Internally, the nave is divided in two by two central columns. Among the furnishings, the
Romanesque 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). ...
is the oldest. It was made by the sculptor known as
Hegvald Hegvald (also Hegwald, Hegwaldr, fl. c. 1175-1200) was a Romanesque stone sculptor of baptismal fonts, working on Gotland.
Works
The name of Hegvald is derived from a rune inscription on one of the baptismal fonts attributed to the sculptor, but t ...
and its sculptured
reliefs display religious motifs. The church also has a late medieval
triumphal cross. Other furnishings are mostly from the 17th and early 18th centuries. In one of the
lychgates leading to the church, a decorated tombstone from 1322 is displayed.
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nar Church
Churches in Gotland County
Churches in the Diocese of Visby
Churches converted from the Roman Catholic Church to the Church of Sweden