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Hörsne kyrka

Address
622 58, Romakloster
Municipality
Gotland
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Visby

Hörsne kyrka is a medieval parish church on Gotland, part of Dalhems församling in the Diocese of Visby. Standing on the northern bank of the Gothemsån, it is notable for its finely carved south portal and surviving medieval wall paintings.



The church's tower dates from the first half of the 1200s and is the surviving remnant of an earlier Romanesque church that had an apsidal chancel. Towards the end of that century the present chancel and sacristy were built, and the two-aisled rectangular nave followed in the first half of the 1300s. The tower has round-arched sound openings, while the nave and chancel have pointed-arch windows, and a slender central column supports the nave's four vaults.

The nave's south portal is considered one of the most interesting on Gotland, with narrative relief carvings attributed to the workshop of the anonymous stonemason known as Egypticus, active in the 1300s. Restoration work carried out by the architect Arne Philip in 1979–1980 revealed medieval wall paintings in the nave attributed to the "Egypticus painter" (1300s) and in the chancel to the so-called Passion Master (1400s). Earlier restoration in 1937 followed proposals by the architect Erik Fant.

Fragments of medieval stained glass, probably from the 1300s, survive in the chancel's south window and in a nave window, while the east window has more recent glass from 1906. Inside, the altarpiece includes wooden sculptures dating from the 1300s, though its surrounding frame was added in 1701. A triumphal crucifix from the 1440s hangs on the north wall of the nave, though the cross itself is a later addition. The pulpit was made in 1688 by Jochim Sterling, and the oak font dates from 1730. Pews in the church date from the 1600s and 1700s.

The current organ was built in 1981 by Johannes Menzel Orgelbyggeri of Härnösand, replacing an earlier instrument installed by Åkerman & Lund in 1944.

The churchyard has been extended several times over the centuries, though its original boundary is still traceable to the east and west. To the north of the church stands a two-storey stone building and a parish storehouse, thought to date from the early 1800s. An excavation in 1924 uncovered the foundations of what is believed to have been a medieval stone tower, or kastal, on the site.

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.

Dalhems församling

Hörsne kyrka

Hörsne kyrka is a medieval parish church on Gotland, part of Dalhems församling in the Diocese of Visby. Standing on the northern bank of the Gothemsån, it is notable for its finely carved south portal and surviving medieval wall paintings.

622 58, Romakloster

Explore this church: Hörsne 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

Sundre kyrka

Sundre kyrka is a medieval stone church in the parish of Hoburg, standing in Sundre — Gotland's southernmost and one of its smallest parishes. Built in the thirteenth century, it is notable above all for…

View church details: Sundre kyrka
Basic listing

Endre kyrka

Endre kyrka is a well-preserved medieval church on Gotland, admired for its striking 13th-century stained glass and a 14th-century altar cabinet. Built up in stages from an earlier Romanesque church, it remains the parish church…

621 77, Visby

View church details: Endre 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: 22 Jan 2025. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: ee5a3615-8947-415d-993b-a2b2158a736b

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.

Suggest a correction

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.