Hagby Church dates from the late 12th century. It was preceded by a wooden chapel dedicated to Saint Sigfrid of Sweden a few kilometres south of the present church; by 1541 it was abandoned. The present church was dedicated to Saint Olaf during the Catholic era .[1][2]
The church was built in a round shape to serve both a religious purpose and a defensive one, i.e. it was a fortified church. 17 arrowslits have been identified in the upper part of the wall. The interior layout has changed considerably through the centuries. Originally it consisted of two floors, a basement floor and an upper floor that served as the church proper. The present layout of the church largely dates from a renovation carried out in 1968.[1][2]
Inside the church, there are fragments of frescos from the 14th century on the walls. The church contains a wooden crucifix from the 16th century and a baptismal font of Gotlandiclimestone. The pulpit dates from the 1760s. A silver chalice and paten dating from the 16th century were found under the church floor during a renovation in 1889, and are today part of the collections of the Swedish History Museum.[1][2]
References
^ abcJacobsson, Britta; Johansson, Eva; Johansson, Per; Andersson, Rolf (1990). Våra kyrkor (in Swedish). Västervik: Klarkullens förlag AB. p. 345. ISBN91-971561-08.
