Sanda kyrka

The present church was consecrated around 1300 by Bishop Lars of Linköping, since Gotland then belonged to the diocese of Linköping. It replaced a smaller 13th-century building, from which the tower was retained, making it the oldest surviving part of the church. Builders reused material from the earlier structure, including ornamented ashlar stones incorporated into the south façade of the nave, and two round pillars with capitals carved by the sculptor known as Calcarius, which had originally supported the vaulting of the older church and were lengthened for reuse.

The long chancel, with its straight east end, and the sacristy were added around the mid-14th century. The original pointed arches in the walls and windows reflect the Gothic style of this building phase.

The interior is richly decorated with medieval paintings. Those in the tower chamber date from the 13th century, while the nave and chancel received extensive vault and wall paintings during the 14th century, including scenes from the story of Adam and Eve, the Coronation of the Virgin, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. One scene shows Saint Nicholas rescuing sailors in distress at sea, and another depicts the Archangel Michael weighing the soul of an emperor named Henry. Further paintings depicting the Passion of Christ were added to the north wall in the 15th century.

Among the church's furnishings, the font is the oldest object, dating from the 12th century and attributed to the workshop of Byzantios; the accompanying dish is thought to be a 16th-century Nuremberg work. The triumphal crucifix dates from the 13th century. The sandstone altarpiece, depicting the Last Supper, was made in Burgsvik in 1664, a type of altar decoration acquired by several Gotland churches during that century. The pulpit also dates from the 17th century.

The church's organ was built in 1867 by Frans Andersson of Stockholm and later restored in 1982; it remains a mechanical instrument.