Väte Church ( sv, Väte kyrka) is a medieval
Lutheran church in
Väte 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 ...
. It is in the
Diocese of Visby of the
Church of Sweden.
History and architecture
Väte Church was built during the 14th century. The
choir and
sacristy
A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.
The sacristy is usually located ...
are the oldest parts of the church, from circa 1300, while the
nave dates from the middle of the 14th century. A tower was planned but never built. The presently visible church probably replaced an earlier,
Romanesque church, of which several remains have been incorporated with the presently visible, mostly
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 ...
church. No major alterations have been made to Väte Church since the
Middle Ages. The church spire was constructed in 1914.
The church is built of
limestone. The exterior is partially decorated with
Romanesque sculpture (the northern portal, decorative
reliefs and window dressings), and has two
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 ...
southern portals with finely sculpted capitals. Inside, the church is decorated with
murals. One set dates from the 14th century, another by the so-called
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 Mas ...
(''Passionsmästaren'') from the 15th century and a third by the so-called Master of 1520 (similar to murals in
Alva and
Lau churches). The octagonal baptismal font is of sandstone and dated to the 12th century. The altarpiece was painted in 1780 by Johan Niklas Weller (1723-1785) who also painted the altar in 1782. The triumphal crucifix is from the 13th century.
The church has undergone restorative works three times during the 20th century: in 1927-28, in 1956 was under the direction of architect Nils Arne Rosén (1920-1998) and the work in 1965 under architect Olle Karth (1905-1965).
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
Official site(in Swedish)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vate Church
Romanesque architecture in Sweden
Gothic architecture in Sweden
Churches in Gotland County
Churches in the Diocese of Visby
Church frescos in Sweden
14th-century churches in Sweden
Churches converted from the Roman Catholic Church to the Church of Sweden