Grötlingbo Church

The Church of Grötlingbo (Swedish Grötlingsbo kyrka ) is a country church, the Parish ( swedish socks) in the parish ( swedish församling ) Havdhem in the diocese of Visby heard. It is located 56 km south of Visby and 11 km south of Hemse on the Swedish island of Gotland.

History

A papal bull issued in 1296, according to the church was dedicated to the Evangelist Luke. This church of about 1200, was a much smaller Romanesque sandstone church, of which under the floor of the present church ruins were found. Your finely hewn sandstone blocks were used in the south facade of the successor church. Most show hunting and martial motifs. Possibly incorporated motifs from the heroic legends. The reliefs allow the church to be determined as the work of Stone Master Sighraf. He has also carved in the triumphal arch erected, well-preserved baptism, whose dainty reliefs depict the childhood of Jesus. The primitive reliefs on the west portal sprang another hand. At the Romanesque stone church of the present tower was added in the first half of the 13th century. The adorned with painted clock tower top built in the late 18th century. The Latin inscription on the bell, which is one of the oldest Gotland, stating that it was cast in 1384 in honor of St. Luke.

The present nave and the choir were built in the mid 14th century under the direction of the master " Egypticus ". Its characteristic smirking face masks appear most clearly to the Kapitellbändern the nave portals. The tympanum is decorated with reliefs, the Madonna and baby Jesus and some Saints constitute encountered also in the paintings on the chancel arch. The similar but more ornamental decorated choir portal shows Wimperg a representation of Christ's resurrection.

The church is a three-aisled hall with four strong round pillars and in its closed form extremely effective. A peculiarity of the Gotland architecture shown by the fact that the north wall has no windows.

Equipment

In the choir vault paintings are from the mid-14th century. Across the center window shows a classic Deesis: Christ the Judge with Mary and John the Baptist. Dragons and tendrils in the eastern vault symbolize the struggle between good and evil. In the western arch of the judge of the world is again shown here assisted by Mary with the child Jesus, John the Baptist and St. Olof.

The stained glass window in the choir come from the same time as the murals. The somewhat farther advanced figures of the apostles of the side windows, which have a different style than the New Testament scenes of middle window could be recent. Medieval inventory items are rare. In addition to the Baptism of the Master Sighraf and some runic provided with grave stones that are in the choir, which in the mid-13th century procured for the older church cross of triumph is obtained. Two heavily damaged wood sculptures, representing the St. Olof and Saint Luke, are preserved in the museum of Gotland Fornsal in Visby.

From Nachreformationszeit the pulpit dates from 1548, the oldest surviving Gotland. It was originally donated to the St. Mary's Church in Visby by the Danish feudal lord piece Hardenberg and his wife. The canopy dates from the late 17th century. The altarpiece, a sandstone work from 1699 with paintings by Jacob Andersson Blass is of a simple kind

The pews dates from 1710, the paintings on the bank doors were executed in the 1740s. You have ( women, men, Kronkommissar, pastor's wife, etc.) due to their deviant decor assignments.

The church was restored in 1956/57, according to the plans of the Domkirchenarchitekten piece Greebe. An exterior restoration was 1986/87 carried out. In 1989, the tower room was divided by a glass wall as a place of worship, which is used mainly in the winter months.

Triumphal cross from the 14th century

The wise men from the East with their gifts to the baptismal font by Master Sighraf.