Martebo Church

The Church of Martebo (Swedish Martebo kyrka ) is a native of the 14th century country church on the Baltic island of Gotland in Sweden.

It is, particularly through its high-Gothic portals, created by Master Fabulator, a unique monument of sculpture art of this period on Gotland. It was rebuilt about 1330. At the small Romanesque tower is a tall ship and a little lower choir were added with sacristy.

The sculptures on the Kapitellbändern the three portals are from the workshop of stonecutters Egypticus. They are decorated with scenes from the life of Christ. North and choir portal show, inter alia, the Annunciation and the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Massacre of the Innocents and the Flight into Egypt. In the portal of the nave, the Baptism of Christ, the Passion, the Burial and Christ in Limbo can be seen, where a chained devil is. In an alcove next to the portal is a statue of St. Dionysius.

On the south side of the church is a prayer chamber. The small space that was designed for people just by a so-called Hagioskop, a four matching shaped opening is connected with the church, which were not allowed to participate with the rest of the congregation in worship (leprosy column).

1970 were typical of the construction period frescoes, including dragons, discovered. The vault of the nave was given a decorative canopy in both traditional Gotland Art

The baptismal font is a work of " Muschelcuppatyps " from the mid-13th century. In the floor are medieval grave stones; one bears the date 1392nd The pulpit from the 16th century is one of the oldest on the island.

The Stones

In the church two image fragments of stone of the oldest tradition ( 400-600 AD) have been incorporated. One shows a spiral motif, the other a vortex. This provided an unusual way, rune stone was removed from the church in 1902 and first exhibited in Stockholm; he is now in Visby.

In 1971, an image of stone was found during the restoration of the church. He was slammed to a rectangular shape; its present height is 128 cm. The image content connects to the motif on the stone in the neighboring parish Hangvar. This is one of only two stones with the dragon motif, found on Gotland. He provides valuable information to the image of stone fragment Hangvar. One of the two characters with two animal heads has a parallel in a booklet form of simultaneous metal art. The stone is placed in Karnhaus the church.