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Buttle kyrka

Address
622 48, Romakloster
Municipality
Gotland
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Visby

Buttle kyrka is a medieval parish church on Gotland, in Vänge församling, built of limestone in the Romanesque style typical of the island. Its long history spans the 12th to 14th centuries, and it retains notable medieval wall paintings and furnishings.



The oldest parts of the church, the nave and the western section of the chancel, were built in the second half of the 12th century. The Romanesque church was completed early in the 13th century with the addition of the tower, which still has its sound openings decorated with small columns and a wooden spire. In the 14th century the original apse was demolished and the chancel extended eastward, ending in the tracery window that survives today; the sacristy north of the chancel was added at the same time.

The exterior is built of rendered limestone, with the tower rising at the west end of the nave to the same width as the church itself. All three entrances, two on the south side and one through the tower in the west, have finely carved perspective stone surrounds, a hallmark of Gotlandic church architecture.

Inside, the nave has a wooden roof while the chancel is covered by a masonry barrel vault. Much of the rich interior decoration dates from the 18th century, but the walls carry medieval murals largely from the 15th century, thought to be the work of the so-called Påsse Master or his workshop. The pulpit, from the early 18th century, has figure paintings added in 1780 by Johan Weller, and its sounding board bears a date of 1662.

Among the church's furnishings are a mid-13th-century font, its bowl supported on a shaft carved with three heads — one monstrous and two human. The 15th-century altar cabinet remains on the high altar, while the triumphal crucifix, dating from the late 12th century, is one of the oldest surviving wooden sculptures on Gotland; likely carved locally, it shows the influence of German woodcarving traditions. Both retain much of their original polychrome decoration.

The church's organ was built in 1883 by the Stockholm firm Åkerman & Lund and rebuilt in 1968 by Andreas Thulesius of Klintehamn; it remains a mechanical instrument.

Large new windows were installed in 1882–83, and the church underwent a thorough restoration in 1956–57 under the architect Olle Karth.

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.

Vänge församling

Buttle kyrka

Buttle kyrka is a medieval parish church on Gotland, in Vänge församling, built of limestone in the Romanesque style typical of the island. Its long history spans the 12th to 14th centuries, and it retains notable medieval wall paintings and furnishings.

622 48, Romakloster

Explore this church: Buttle kyrka

Church information: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0. Each church page includes its credits and visiting notes.

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Basic listing

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Västerhejde kyrka

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Basic listing

Klinte kyrka

Klinte kyrka is a medieval stone church on Gotland, forming the parish church of Klinte within the diocese of Visby. Its tall tower and richly carved south portal make it one of the island's more…

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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: 2d9299aa-a470-4d46-8759-cd69451f405a

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.

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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.