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Fardhems kyrka

Address
Fardhems Prästgård, 62352, HEMSE
Municipality
Gotland
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Visby

Fardhems kyrka is a medieval parish church on Gotland, within Fardhems församling in the Diocese of Visby. According to the old Gutasaga, a church on this site was reputedly the third to be built on the island, though this is thought to refer to an earlier wooden predecessor.



The present stone church is a well-preserved Romanesque building, visible across the flat surrounding landscape from the south. It comprises an apsidal chancel with a sacristy to the north, a taller and broader nave, and a west tower topped by a tall spire. The apse and nave were built of finely cut limestone ashlar, with the apse dating from the late twelfth century, the nave from around 1200, and the tower from the second quarter of the thirteenth century. The sacristy was rebuilt in 1871–72, replacing an earlier one on the same site.

Among the Romanesque features, the chancel doorway is particularly notable for its reliefs, which have proved difficult to interpret. The apse is decorated with pilaster strips, and the nave carries a round-arched frieze beneath the eaves. The tower's large sound openings are adorned with slender colonnettes and restrained brick decoration. Inside, the nave has a flat wooden ceiling, while the chancel is covered by a stone barrel vault bearing ornamental limekiln painting from 1719; the tower has a cross vault.

The interior is otherwise simple. A font base survives from the twelfth century, though the font in current use was carved at Burgsvik towards the end of the seventeenth century. The pulpit dates from the 1720s and bears the monogram of King Frederick I. A wooden altar crucifix, made during restoration work in 1951–52, is a copy of a crucifix found in Träkumla church.

The organ was built in 1899 by Åkerman & Lund and remains mechanical in action; it was renovated in 1993.

Opening hours

Opening hours have not been confirmed for the current date. This does not mean the church is closed.

Check access with the parish before travelling. Services and seasonal changes can affect visits.

Contact & official information

Fardhems församling

Fardhems församling

Fardhems kyrka

Fardhems kyrka is a medieval parish church on Gotland, within Fardhems församling in the Diocese of Visby. According to the old Gutasaga, a church on this site was reputedly the third to be built on the island, though this is thought to refer to an earlier wooden predecessor.

Fardhems Prästgård, 62352, HEMSE

Explore this church: Fardhems kyrka

Church information: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0. Each church page includes its credits and visiting notes.

Other churches in the same diocese

Basic listing

Othems kyrka

Othems kyrka, on Gotland northeast of Visby, is a medieval limestone church whose interior preserves remarkable medieval wall paintings, including a much-admired depiction of the Madonna and Child and scenes of Christ with his apostles.

Othem kyrka, 624 46, Slite

View church details: Othems kyrka
Basic listing

Visborgskyrkan

Visborgskyrkan is the parish church serving the southern districts of Visby, on the island of Gotland. Built in the 1960s and consecrated in 1969, it combines a worship space with parish premises and stands as…

Stenkumlaväg 14, 621 47, VISBY

View church details: Visborgskyrkan
Basic listing

Lye kyrka

Lye kyrka is a medieval church in the village of Lye on Gotland, within Garde parish. Standing on Gotland's rich landscape of stone churches, it is notable for its exceptional medieval stained glass and painted…

Garde Prästgård 410

View church details: Lye kyrka

Sources & credits

Provider catalogue data: Svenska kyrkan, Platser, CC BY 4.0. Separately credited descriptions retain their stated source and licence terms. Catalogue and visiting data reformatted from the provider. The English guide combines and abridges separately credited sources below.

Provider record updated: 8 Jun 2022. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: dfa5c151-d598-4022-855d-e8ad629f75ce

Guide sources

This English guide combines, abridges and translates the sources below with AI assistance, with editorial contributions by Churches in Sweden. It has not been independently verified. The adapted guide text is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photographs and map data have their own terms.

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Church data retrieved 24 Sep 2026. Visiting details have not been independently verified.

Sources, licences & reuse

Independent guide

Churches in Sweden is an independent guide. It is not an official Svenska kyrkan website and does not imply sponsorship or endorsement.

Church information

Source: Svenska kyrkan — Platser, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. English adaptations by Churches in Sweden are identified on each profile. Our adaptations solely from Platser are offered under CC BY 4.0. Guides combining Wikipedia with other compatible sources are identified individually and offered under CC BY-SA 4.0; this covers that guide text, not the whole website. Separately credited third-party material retains its stated terms. Independently written descriptions are identified on their profiles. Imported material has not been independently verified. Original names and visiting details are retained; presentation is reformatted. Each profile identifies its source record and any additional supplied credits.

You may reuse the licensed church material under CC BY 4.0, including commercially, with the required attribution, licence link and indication of changes. No additional site restriction overrides those rights. The licence does not automatically cover separately credited images or map data.

Provider disclaimer

Svenska kyrkan supplies Platser data without guaranteeing that it is correct, current, complete across its organisation, or always available. The material is provided as-is and as-available, subject to the licence’s disclaimer of warranties and limitation of liability.

Svenska kyrkan kan ej garantera att den data som finns i Platser:
– är korrekt.
– är aktuell.
– är komplett för hela Svenska kyrkans organisation.
– alltid är tillgänglig.

Preserved provider agreement · Full licence

Automatic diocese associations use the organisation codes from Svenska kyrkan UnitAPI. An association does not establish ownership or denomination. External editorial sources are credited separately.

Map and photographs

Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL and © OpenMapTiles. Tiles and style are served by World Class Maps. Map rendering uses MapLibre GL JS. The map’s own attribution remains visible.

Photographs are credited individually with their own licence or permission. The API data licence does not automatically cover photographs. No images are imported automatically.