Gärdslösa Church () is a

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

church on the Swedish island

Öland Öland (, ; ; sometimes written ''Oland'' internationally) is the second-largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden. Öland has an area of and is located in the Baltic Sea just off the coast of Småland. ...

, in the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

. It belongs to the

Diocese of Växjö The Diocese of Växjö () is one of 13 dioceses within the Lutheran Church of Sweden. Its episcopal see is located in the city of Växjö. The diocese was established in the 12th century as a Roman Catholic bishopric, but was taken over by the Ch ...

History and architecture

In the

church porch A church porch is a room-like structure at a church's main entrance. A porch protects from the weather to some extent. Some porches have an outer door, others a simple gate, and in some cases the outer opening is not closed in any way. The porch ...

of Gärdslösa Church stands a Christian

runestone A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic alphabet, runic inscription, but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock. The tradition of erecting runestones as a memorial to dead men began in the 4th centur ...

, indicating that there could have been a wooden church on the same spot as early as the 11th century. The presently visible church however dates from the 12th century; according to tradition it was inaugurated in 1138. The oldest parts of the church are the westernmost part 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 ...

. Only slightly later is the foundation of the tower. The church was successively rebuilt and expanded during 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 ...

. Thus the vaulting of the church dates from circa 1240, and the

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

was rebuilt in stages during the late 13th century by a master stonemason from

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 ...

by the name Ronensis. Its

crow-stepped gable A stepped gable, crow-stepped gable, or corbie step is a stairstep type of design at the top of the triangular gable-end of a building. The top of the parapet wall projects above the roofline and the top of the brick or stone wall is stacked in ...

is unique for its kind on Öland. The interior has also been decorated with

fresco Fresco ( 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 plaster, the painting become ...

s from several periods. One cycle dates from the 13th century, and others are from 1498, the late 16th century and 1642, respectively. Gärdslösa Church is the best preserved medieval church on Öland. Apart from the church spire and the windows, which were enlarged in 1845, the church still in principle retains its medieval appearance. The church was renovated in 1957–58. Today the church consists of a

and

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...

, a

of almost equal width as the nave and a church tower in the west. The walls of the exterior are

whitewash Whitewash, calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, asbestis or lime paint is a type of paint made from slaked lime ( calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2) or chalk (calcium carbonate, CaCO3), sometimes known as "whiting". Various other additives are sometimes ...

ed (except for a small area). Inside, the church is characterised by the many frescos. The

altarpiece An altarpiece is a painting or sculpture, including relief, of religious subject matter 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 or sculpture, ...

was made in 1764–66 and seeks to imitate the altarpiece of

Kalmar Cathedral Kalmar Cathedral () is in the city of Kalmar in Småland in southeast Sweden. Located in Stortorget Square, construction began in 1660. The Cathedral was designed for the Church of Sweden by architect Nicodemus Tessin. History The new city of K ...

. Most of the furnishings of the church also date from the 17th and 18th centuries. The oldest item in the church is a small

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 ...

from the early 14th century. The father of the Swedish poet

Erik Johan Stagnelius Erik Johan Stagnelius (14 October 17933 April 1823) was a Swedish Romantic poet, playwright and romantic critic of political economy. 1810 to 1840 was a time of blossoming in Swedish poetry, and there were several writers of distinguished m ...

was a priest at the church for some years, and the poet spent his childhood in the nearby

parsonage A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant's ministry. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, pa ...

. In 1924, a memorial stone was erected near the church in commemoration of the poet, with a portrait medallion executed by Arvid Källström. The church was also the venue for the marriage between

Princess Margaretha of Sweden Princess Margaretha of Sweden (Margaretha Sofia Lovisa Ingeborg; 25 June 1899 – 4 January 1977) was a member of the Swedish Royal Family by birth and the Danish Royal Family by marriage. She was the elder sister of Crown Princess Märtha of Nor ...

and John Ambler, an English businessman, in 1964.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gardslosa Church Churches in the Diocese of Växjö Churches in Kalmar County Borgholm Municipality