Hanebo kyrka stands around two kilometres north of Kilafors in Gävleborg. Documents confirm a church existed here in the early 1300s, though parts of the building are considerably older, making it one of the more layered medieval churches in the region.
The oldest surviving masonry, found on the north side of the nave, may date from the late 1100s or early 1200s, suggesting an earlier Romanesque church on the site. This was superseded in the early 1300s by a larger Gothic-style church, extended eastward and widened to the south. Towards the end of the 1400s, brick vaulting was added to the ceiling and the interior was decorated with paintings.
A more thorough renovation took place in 1662, when two obelisks were placed beside the altar and an altarpiece depicting the Crucifixion, along with the pulpit, were acquired. The windows were enlarged in 1708. Between 1776 and 1778 the church was extended with north and south transepts, transforming it into a cross-shaped building, reportedly on the initiative of the parish priest at the time, who is said to have given up a year's salary towards the work.
The present tower dates from 1876, replacing an earlier freestanding bell tower, and was built of granite and brick with a copper-clad cupola and a gilded cross on its spire. A tower clock was completed the following year. A restoration in 1901–1902 altered the interior, raising the chancel floor and adding a new west gallery, with the altar, gallery and pulpit painted brown with gilding. A further restoration in the 1950s, overseen by Professor Erik Lundberg, gave the church its current external appearance: the tower was rendered and limewashed white, while the medieval walls were stripped of plaster so that each historical period could be read separately.
Among the church's furnishings is an altarpiece by Albert Blombergsson depicting Christ in Gethsemane, a copy of a work in Söderhamn's Ulrika Eleonora church, donated in 1834. The pulpit was made in 1662 and given its present appearance in 1714. A triumphal crucifix on the north wall of the church is thought to date from the first half of the 1300s, and a medieval ivory Madonna sculpture hangs on the south wall of the chancel. The porch retains fragments of a stone font from around 1300, and an oblate dish is dated to the 1600s.
The church has had several organs over the centuries, and the current instrument, built in 1972, retains the façade of its 1902 predecessor. Two bells hang in the tower, recast in 1768 and 1786 respectively.
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.
Hanebo-Segersta församling
Hanebo-Segersta församling
Hanebo kyrka stands around two kilometres north of Kilafors in Gävleborg. Documents confirm a church existed here in the early 1300s, though parts of the building are considerably older, making it one of the more layered medieval churches in the region.
Hanebo kyrkväg 44, 823 91, Kilafors
Explore this church: Hanebo 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.
Ekvägen 7, 740 47, Harbo
View church details: Missionskyrkan, HarboFunbo kyrka is a parish church east of Uppsala, in Danmark-Funbo parish, standing in a valley west of the Funbo stream. Its grey-stone walls and Romanesque origins make it one of the more historically layered…
Carl von Linnés väg 2, 75756, Uppsala
View church details: Funbo kyrkaEnåkers kyrka is a substantial parish church near Runhällen in Uppsala län, thought to have been built around 1300 and later remodelled in a Gothic Revival style during the mid-19th century. Its medieval origins remain…
Skolgatan 6, 74431, HEBY
View church details: Enåkers kyrkaLocation and available visiting information. A fuller English guide is still to be added.
Assurs väg 3, 197 91, Bro
View church details: Prästkragens kapellSources, 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: 24 Apr 2023. This is not an independent verification date.
Source record: 03b82dd9-da9d-443d-bfe2-c35092e51757
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.