Roslags-Bro Church
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Roslags-Bro Church ( sv, Roslags-Bro kyrka) is a medieval Lutheran church in the
Archdiocese of Uppsala The Archdiocese of Uppsala ( sv, Uppsala ärkestift) is one of the thirteen dioceses of the Church of Sweden and the only one having the status of an archdiocese. Lutheran archdiocese Uppsala is the seat of the Lutheran Archbishop of Uppsala. Th ...
in
Stockholm County Stockholm County ( sv, Stockholms län, link=no ) is a county or '' län'' (in Swedish) on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm ...
,
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
. It was built during the middle of the 13th century by an important sea-route, since disappeared as a consequence of the post-glacial rebound. Immured in the church is a runestone from the 11th century.


History

When Roslags-Bro church was built in the 13th century it was located by a once important sea-route which has since disappeared as a consequence of post-glacial rebound. Immured in the church is a runestone from the 11th century raised in memory of a man who was killed in Estonia across the Baltic Sea (runestone U533). Throughout the Middle Ages, the church was one of the most important churches in Roslagen, and one of the first stone churches in the area. Archbishop Nathan Söderblom still referred to the church as "the Cathedral of Roslagen". Several details, notably the extensive use of sandstone from
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 ...
and the church's
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 ...
and
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). ...
coming from there, indicate the workshop building the church might have come from Gotland. During the 15th century, the choir was added and the ceiling further vaulted and decorated with
fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...
s. The latter have never been painted over and so retain much of their original brilliance. It has been suggested that Sten Sture the Elder might have commissioned them. During the 18th century the windows of the church were enlarged to their present size and an external wooden
bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tower ...
erected. Two free-standing burial chapels were added close to the church in the cemetery, and one attached to the western gable by Vendela Magnona Fleming for her and her husband, Duke Carl Gabrielsson Oxenstierna. It displays the coats of arms of the Fleming and
Oxenstierna Oxenstierna ( , ) is a Swedish noble family, originally from Småland in southern Sweden which can be traced up to the middle of the 14th century. The Oxenstierna family held vast estates in Södermanland and Uppland during the late Middle Ages a ...
families.


Architecture

Despite a few later additions and alterations, Roslags-Bro Church is considered to be a representative example of a medieval church in Uppland. Externally the church retains much of its original look, characterised by roughly hewn stones and high
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
gables, save the strikingly different Fleming-Oxenstierna burial chapel. The interior features frescoes, largely purely ornamental of foliage. Church furnishings include a baptismal font and triumphal cross made on Gotland. Also housed is a wooden sculpture of a male saint, traditionally considered a depiction of
St. Erik Eric IX, (Swedish: ''Erik Jedvardsson; Erik den helige; Sankt Erik''; d. 18 May 1160) also called Eric the Holy, Saint Eric, and Eric the Lawgiver, was a Swedish king in the 12th century, 1156–1160. The ''Roman Martyrology'' of the Catholic C ...
but probably Saint Olaf. The statue has served as a model for the coat of arms of Stockholm, of which St. Erik is the patron saint. The church has an
altarpiece An altarpiece is an artwork such as a painting, sculpture or relief representing a religious subject made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting o ...
from the early 15th century, one of the oldest in Sweden. In addition, it houses a 14th-century
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
and a sculpture of Saint Stephen from the 15th century. Another unusual piece of wooden sculpture from the church is a medieval coffin with a statue of Christ. On
Good Friday Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...
the congregation places the statue in the coffin. Before they arrive again on Easter Sunday the priest removes the statue and so illustrates Christ has risen from the dead. Among later furnishings, the
pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...
is from circa 1700 and the
organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...
from 1838. The church also has some carved wooden epitaphs of families from the Swedish nobility on display.


Gallery

Roslags-Bro kyrka dopfunt 2011.JPG, Baptismal font Roslags-Bro kyrka krucifix 2011.JPG, Triumphal cross Roslags-Bro kyrka predikstol 2011.JPG, Pulpit Roslags-Bro kyrka orgel 2011.JPG, Organ


References


External links


Official site (in Swedish)
* {{Authority control Buildings and structures in Stockholm County Church frescos in Sweden 13th-century churches in Sweden Churches in the Diocese of Uppsala Churches converted from the Roman Catholic Church to the Church of Sweden