Remnants of an older church have been found under the floor of the present
one. It was a towerless apsidial church, from which a great many relief-decorated
facade ashlars have survived in the huge church which was built in the mid-fourteenth
century by "Egypticus". These sculptures show disconnected pieces
from a long frieze describing a hunt, possibly a motif from the Nordic saga
of Teodorich the Great (Didric of Bern). They are ascribed to master Sighraf,
who also made the baptismal font. To the Romanesque church was added about
1200 the present tower with a portal decorated with reliefs representing
fabulous beasts by "Calcarius" (see Fole). The grotesque troll
;faces, characteristic of "Egypticus" are staring at the visitor
from the magnificent nave portal, through which he enters into a light three
aisled nave, opening to the chancel with a wide, profiled chancel arch with
a Rood from the middle of the 13th century. In the chancel are vault- and
wallpaintings by the "Egypticus-painter", characterized, among
other things, by the ferocious dragons in the vault. The Egypticus-building
was completed with the installation of stained glass panes in the eastern
windows. An interesting piece is the pulpit, dated 1548 and decorated with
the Danish arms of the kingdom and portraits of Luther, Melanchton, emperor
Charles V and other prominent persons of the Reformation. Originally it
was given to the church of St Mary in Visby by the Danish governor Eiler
Hardenberg. The paintings in the nave vaults are from the 18th century and
the pews were decorated with very beautiful flower paintings in the 1740
s.
Photo Hans Hemlin
Text Dr. Bengt G Söderberg
©1997 Created by Sören_Gannholm