Hossmo kyrka

An earlier wooden church is thought to have stood on the site before the present stone building was constructed around 1120. It consists of a nave, chancel and apse, and was originally surrounded by a number of stone grave monuments known as Eskilstuna cists, dated to the second half of the eleventh century. The tower was added somewhat later.

Around 1240 an upper storey was built above the church. The wall openings from this period have often been interpreted as loopholes, leading to the idea that Hossmo functioned as a fortified church, possibly between 1200 and 1400, though firm proof for this is lacking. Written sources do show that during the union conflicts of the early sixteenth century the building served as a garrison and an outlying stronghold defending Kalmar.

Archaeological investigations carried out in 2003, when the churchyard was being extended, suggested the church may once have been enclosed by a moat. Traces of other structures were found nearby, including what appears to have been a bloomery furnace used for iron production, although the dating of these remains is uncertain. The church's origins have been linked either to royal authority or to a local aristocratic family, and the surrounding area is thought to have been an important settlement centre in the late Iron Age and early medieval period.

Inside, the sandstone font dates from the early thirteenth century, making it one of the older furnishings in the church. A triumphal crucifix hangs in the chancel arch, and the organ gallery is decorated with floral panels. Both the earlier altarpiece, depicting the baptism of Christ, and the plain rococo pulpit were made in 1768 by the sculptor Jonas Berggren. The original altar slab, which once held a relic cavity, is now set into the floor of the apse.

The church underwent an internal renovation in 2020, during which the apse was uncovered and the original chancel window in the apse was reconstructed; it reopened later that year. The building has had a series of pipe organs over the past century, most recently replaced by a digital instrument, reflecting the changing tastes and resources of the parish rather than any single defining feature.