Gåsinge kyrka stands on a hillside above Lake Storsjön in the small village of Gåsinge kyrkby, between Björnlunda, Laxne and Gnesta in Södermanland. Part of the Church of Sweden's Daga parish, it is a modest rural church with a long and eventful architectural history.
The oldest surviving parts of the church, including its sturdy tower and the lower portion of the nave, date back to the 1200s, when a Romanesque church with an unusually large chancel stood here, entered originally through a doorway in the south wall. At some point during the late medieval period the building suffered a fire, and the brick vaulting of the nave and chancel is thought to have collapsed as a result, probably in the 1400s. A porch was added in the same century.
By the late 1700s the medieval church was considered too small for the growing congregation, prompting a radical rebuilding between 1779 and 1782. The old chancel, sacristy and porch were demolished, and the nave was extended to more than double its former length. A new sacristy was built to the north, fresh entrances were opened in the west and south walls, and the tower gained the lantern-topped cupola that still crowns it today, giving the church much of its present external appearance.
Despite the extensive rebuilding, the church retains a notable collection of medieval fittings. Among the woodcarvings are a thirteenth-century figure of St Olof and a late fifteenth-century figure of John the Baptist, both said to be of high quality. A triumphal crucifix of around 1200, mounted on a later cross, decorates the south wall, while a late medieval processional cross hangs on the north wall. The stone font in the chancel is also thought to date from around 1200, and above it hangs a Marian cabinet shrine of about 1500 depicting a gold-crowned Madonna and Child.
The church organ has its own layered history: an instrument with ten stops was built in 1850 by Johan Lund of Stockholm, and in 1938 a new organ with thirteen stops was installed by E. A. Setterquist & Son of Örebro, reusing the 1850 case and around eight of the earlier pipe stops.
A parish hall known as Gåsinge Tingshus stands beside the church and has historically been used, alongside the church itself, for christenings, weddings and funerals, including civil funeral services.
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.
Daga församling
Daga församling
Gåsinge kyrka stands on a hillside above Lake Storsjön in the small village of Gåsinge kyrkby, between Björnlunda, Laxne and Gnesta in Södermanland. Part of the Church of Sweden's Daga parish, it is a modest rural church with a long and eventful architectural history.
Gåsinge kyrka, 64691, Gnesta
Explore this church: Gåsinge kyrkaChurch information: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0. Each church page includes its credits and visiting notes.
Location and available visiting information. A fuller English guide is still to be added.
Vallbyvägen 438
View church details: Equmeniakyrkan Närkes KilSättersta kyrka is a medieval stone church in the parish of Tystbergabygden, in Nyköping municipality, Södermanland, within the Diocese of Strängnäs. Standing on the site since the twelfth or thirteenth century, it retains a wealth…
Stationsvägen 4, 61174, Tystberga
View church details: Sättersta kyrkaEkeby kyrka, set among the farmland and lime trees of the Närke plain in Kumla municipality, is best known locally as a favourite venue for weddings, while remaining an active parish church for everyday worship…
Ekeby Prästgård Kyrkan 101, 692 91, Kumla
View church details: Ekeby kyrkaKvistbro kyrka stands on a low hill above the Svartån river in Närke, at the point where the parish's open farmland meets the wider Bergslagen mining district. This wooden church, with its distinctive red-painted shingle…
Kvistbro kyrka, 716
View church details: Kvistbro 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: 18 Apr 2023. This is not an independent verification date.
Source record: edeb5a73-20e7-41db-8aee-8e2879fe5948
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.