Lovö kyrka stands at the heart of the island of Lovön, near Drottningholm. Built of thick grey stone probably in the 12th century, and extended in later centuries, it is notable for its runestones, Romanesque windows and medieval consecration crosses.
The church is generally dated to the second half of the 12th century, though it may have had a wooden predecessor. Restoration work carried out in the 1930s uncovered runestones, and sources differ over whether these date from the early 12th century or the 11th century. Five runestones, once built into the church's foundations or used as corner stones for the tower, now stand upright near where they were found, marking the site's earlier connection with the first Christian generations in the area.
The building's unusually narrow, elongated shape results from two eastward extensions, one in the 13th century and another in the 17th century, while the tower was added in the late medieval period. A burial chapel for the councillor of the realm Lorens von der Linde was built around 1670, possibly to designs associated with the architect Nicodemus Tessin the Elder.
Inside, around thirty gravestones commemorate individuals connected with Drottholm Palace, reflecting the church's long association with the royal estate nearby. Fittings include a 13th-century font, a pulpit of 1718 attributed to Burchard Precht's workshop, and an altarpiece painted by Carl Gustaf Plagemann in 1866, said to have been a gift from two sisters living in Drottningholm. The church interior was renovated in 2004.
The churchyard contains the graves of several notable figures, including a striking 18th-century monument to the poet Olof von Dalin and the mathematician Samuel Klingenstierna, both tutors to the future King Gustav III. The monument, a granite obelisk topped with a gilded star set on a grassy mound, was raised in 1769 to a design by Jean Eric Rehn, funded by Queen Lovisa Ulrika. The architect Ralph Erskine is also buried here, alongside other notable local figures.
The church's organ history reflects several rebuildings and relocations over the centuries; the current mechanical organ dates from 1959. Nearby stand the old bell tower with its weathervane, and the former rectory, whose main building dates from the 18th century and now houses an organic dairy farm.
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Ekerö pastorat
Ekerö pastorat
Lovö kyrka stands at the heart of the island of Lovön, near Drottningholm. Built of thick grey stone probably in the 12th century, and extended in later centuries, it is notable for its runestones, Romanesque windows and medieval consecration crosses.
Strömdalsvägen 4, 178 93, Drottningholm
Explore this church: Lovö kyrkaChurch information: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0. Each church page includes its credits and visiting notes.
Jordbro kyrka is a twentieth-century parish church serving Österhaninge parish in Jordbro, near Stockholm. Built as a modern place of worship, it also functions as a community meeting place, with fellowship and activities intended for…
Moränvägen 17, Jordbro
View church details: Jordbro kyrkaHammarby church was built in the 13th century. It has a medieval altar cabinet of oak from the 1460s. It is located by Lake Fysingen.
Hammarby kyrkväg 2, 194 45, Upplands Väsby
View church details: Hammarby kyrkaChurch in Täby parish
Krossbacken 73, 187 70, TÄBY
View church details: Täby kyrkogårdsförvaltningÄngbykyrkan, in Blackeberg on the edge of Stockholm, serves as its parish's church for children, young people and families, with Sunday services and weekday activities for younger members of the congregation.
Kyrkbacken 9
View church details: ÄngbykyrkanSources, 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: 9 Jun 2022. This is not an independent verification date.
Source record: a4a2af20-7378-49d3-9092-525b8af105f8
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.