Saint Hans and Saint Per Churches Ruins, Visby
The Ruins of Saint Hans and Saint Per Churches stand as historic testaments in the city of Visby. These architectural structures, erected in the 13th century, were dedicated to John the Evangelist and Peter the Apostle respectively.
The original Saint Hans Church, thought to be the first stone church erected on Gotland, was built around 1060 at an ancient pagan viet, or offering place. It signifies the onset of Christianity and the expulsion of the Old Believers, marking a pivotal shift in Gotland's spiritual landscape. Evidence suggests that Saint Hans Church likely succeeded a pagan temple, which might be traced back to the Eke Ting area of the island.
As the parish church for the Gotlanders in Visby, Saint Hans initially served a purely local congregation. Conversely, Saint Per was erected post-1161 on the site of a forsaken wooden church, All Saints Church, catering to the town's German community. As the 13th century saw increasing German influence and intermarriage, the churches transformed. Saint Hans became a high-class place of worship for both Germans and Gotlanders, while Saint Per served the lay population.
The 17th century marked a further deterioration of the churches, rendering them absent from maps of 1646 and 1696. Their stones were repurposed in the 19th century to construct the nearby Lythberg house. Interestingly, this demolition also led to the preservation of a vast number of medieval tombstones, the largest such collection in Europe. The discovery of a runic tombstone dated to around 1070, the Hailgair's h盲ll, during an archaeological dig in Saint Hans is a testament to this.
The original Saint Hans Church, thought to be the first stone church erected on Gotland, was built around 1060 at an ancient pagan viet, or offering place. It signifies the onset of Christianity and the expulsion of the Old Believers, marking a pivotal shift in Gotland's spiritual landscape. Evidence suggests that Saint Hans Church likely succeeded a pagan temple, which might be traced back to the Eke Ting area of the island.
As the parish church for the Gotlanders in Visby, Saint Hans initially served a purely local congregation. Conversely, Saint Per was erected post-1161 on the site of a forsaken wooden church, All Saints Church, catering to the town's German community. As the 13th century saw increasing German influence and intermarriage, the churches transformed. Saint Hans became a high-class place of worship for both Germans and Gotlanders, while Saint Per served the lay population.
The 17th century marked a further deterioration of the churches, rendering them absent from maps of 1646 and 1696. Their stones were repurposed in the 19th century to construct the nearby Lythberg house. Interestingly, this demolition also led to the preservation of a vast number of medieval tombstones, the largest such collection in Europe. The discovery of a runic tombstone dated to around 1070, the Hailgair's h盲ll, during an archaeological dig in Saint Hans is a testament to this.
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Saint Hans and Saint Per Churches Ruins on Map
Sight Name: Saint Hans and Saint Per Churches Ruins
Sight Location: Visby, Sweden (See walking tours in Visby)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Visby, Sweden (See walking tours in Visby)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Visby, Sweden
Create Your Own Walk in Visby
Creating your own self-guided walk in Visby is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Visby Introduction Walking Tour
Ask a Swede about Visby and you鈥檒l probably see a dreamy look on their face. It is fairly difficult to find anyone in the country who isn鈥檛 fond of this enchanting town, located on the island of Gotland, east of the Swedish mainland.
Visby's history dates back to medieval times when it was a prominent trading hub within the Hanseatic League. The town's name is believed to... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles
Visby's history dates back to medieval times when it was a prominent trading hub within the Hanseatic League. The town's name is believed to... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles
Church Ruins Walking Tour
Out of the total nineteen church ruins found in Gotland, twelve are in Visby. The period of church construction in Gotland was fairly short, from around the early 11th to the mid-14th centuries, with the last churches in Visby inaugurated in the 15th century.
Our first stop on this tour is the Saint Clemens Church, a majestic structure dating back to the 1060s. Once a grand display of Gothic... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles
Our first stop on this tour is the Saint Clemens Church, a majestic structure dating back to the 1060s. Once a grand display of Gothic... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles