Näs Church ( sv, Näs kyrka) is a medieval church on the Swedish island of
Gotland. It was built in the 13th century, and has hardly been altered since. It belongs to the
Diocese of Visby
The Diocese of Visby ( sv, Visby stift) 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 episc ...
.
History and architecture
The church was built in the middle of the 13th century, and remains today largely unchanged. The interior was changed during a renovation made in 1910, and according to tradition the tower was originally higher (however, nothing seems to indicate that this is true). However, few of the original furnishings have survived. The
altarpiece dates from 1692, and made in
Burgsvik, while the
pulpit is from the middle of the 18th century. 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 ...
is a copy of a medieval crucifix, but a few fragments of an original triumphal cross survive in the
Gotland Museum
The Gotland Museum ( sv, Gotlands museum) (previously known as ''Länsmuseet på Gotland'' or ''Gotlands Fornsal'') in Visby, Sweden, is the county museum of Gotland. It was founded by the Friends of Gotland's Antiquity society in 1875, at the in ...
in
Visby
Visby () is an urban area in Sweden and the seat of Gotland Municipality in Gotland County on the island of Gotland with 24,330 inhabitants . Visby is also the episcopal see for the Diocese of Visby. The Hanseatic city of Visby is arguably th ...
. In the sacristy, fragments of a medieval tombstone are also stored; the fragmentary picture on the tombstone may possible depict a bishop.
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nas Church, Gotland
13th-century establishments in Sweden
Churches in Gotland County
Churches in the Diocese of Visby
Churches converted from the Roman Catholic Church to the Church of Sweden