Tuns kyrka, in the churchtown of Tun near Lidköping, is a 19th-century building standing on a site with a much older Christian history. Excavations beneath and around today's church have revealed the remains of a medieval predecessor, giving visitors a rare glimpse of Västergötland's early church architecture.
The present church was built in 1846 to designs by Johan Adolf Hawerman, replacing an earlier building on the same spot. It is constructed in a restrained neoclassical style, with a tower topped by a lantern; unusually, the chancel is not marked as a separate volume on the exterior.
Restoration work carried out between 1948 and 1950 uncovered substantial foundations of the medieval church that had previously stood here, thought to date from the late 11th or early 12th century. The excavated walls, of roughly hewn sandstone with a chamfered plinth, are comparable to some of the oldest church remains in the district. The church is thought to have been built near two Iron Age burial mounds, possibly on a site with earlier pre-Christian religious significance, though this remains a matter of local tradition rather than firm record.
Among the finds from the old church was a sandstone font, missing its base, carved with a relief showing the biblical spies returning from Canaan carrying a bunch of grapes between them on a pole. This scene is said to be unique among Västergötland fonts and its style has been linked by some researchers to Danish influence, though such attributions are necessarily uncertain.
The medieval building saw various additions over the centuries, including a vaulted chancel roof from the 13th century, a sacristy of uncertain date, and a mysterious western extension whose original purpose is debated: it may have simply enlarged the nave, or possibly formed the base of a former tower. Several members of the noble Posse family, associated with the nearby estates of Såtenäs and Gammalstorp, were buried within the old church, and inscribed gravestones connected to them survive and are now displayed on the exterior walls of the present church.
The church was substantially rebuilt in 1767, before being demolished and replaced by the current building in 1846, completed within a single year and consecrated on 1 November of that year. The large bell in the tower is of a robust late medieval type, bearing an inscription believed to record the names of the noble Axel Posse and his wife Elsa Nilsdotter, along with invocations to Jesus and Mary.
The altar painting depicting Christ and the disciples at Emmaus is the work of the artist Marina Kylberg of Såtenäs.
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A listed ramp does not confirm step-free access throughout the building.
Södra Kållands pastorat
Södra Kållands pastorat
Tuns kyrka, in the churchtown of Tun near Lidköping, is a 19th-century building standing on a site with a much older Christian history. Excavations beneath and around today's church have revealed the remains of a medieval predecessor, giving visitors a rare glimpse of Västergötland's early church architecture.
Råda församlingshem 1, 53196, Lidköping
Explore this church: Tuns kyrkaChurch information: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0. Each church page includes its credits and visiting notes.
Kinnarumma kyrka is a parish church in Kinnarumma, in the southern part of Borås municipality, Sweden. It belongs to Kinnarumma parish, part of the Diocese of Skara, and stands on a site that has held…
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View church details: Kinnarumma kyrkaVretens kyrka, also known as Edhems kyrka, is a stone church in the village of Vreten in Skövde municipality, Västra Götaland. Consecrated in 1873, it now serves the Värsås-Varola-Vretens parish within the Diocese of Skara.
Sventorp prästgård igelstorp, 54192, SKÖVDE
View church details: Vretens kyrkaLocation and available visiting information. A fuller English guide is still to be added.
Sveagatan 7
View church details: Tråvads kyrkaMo kyrka is a parish church east of Moholm in Töreboda, Västergötland, belonging to Fägre parish. Building work began in the late 1200s or early 1300s on the site of an earlier medieval chapel, and…
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View church details: Mo kyrkaSources, credits and English adaptations are identified on each church page. Provider data: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0.
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: 28 Apr 2026. This is not an independent verification date.
Source record: c0ecde04-14f0-462b-b035-0dc847c964cb
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.