Hova kyrka

The origins of a church at Hova are uncertain, but a priest named Gunno is recorded here as early as 1308, suggesting a church already stood at this important junction. An earlier medieval church has been traced at Fagerlid, south of the present village, where outdoor services are sometimes still held. The building described from the 18th century is not the one visitors see today, since the church was later extended eastward and given its present Empire-style (Karl Johan style) appearance.

The most dramatic event in the church's history occurred on 23 June 1723, when lightning struck the building during a service. Windows shattered, stones were torn from the walls, and part of the west gable collapsed, killing fifteen people and injuring many more. Rebuilding began soon after, though the church was not ready for worship again until 1734. A religious revival later in the century meant the building became too small for its congregation, prompting further extension work from 1810, with the current chancel completed a couple of years later.

Few furnishings survived the 1723 disaster, but those that did are of particular interest. The wooden font, carved in the early 1700s with three small cherubs supporting the basin, is among the survivors, along with an alms chest, the iron-bound sacristy door and one of the chandeliers. A brass baptismal bowl from the 17th century also belongs to the font.

The altar, consecrated in 1977, was designed by Jerk Alton; the altar rail is left open, reflecting an emphasis on shared communion. Sources differ slightly on the date of the altarpiece depicting Christ's agony in the garden of Gethsemane, attributed to Axel Johan Fägerplan around the mid-19th century. The pulpit dates from the mid-1700s, with its canopy added in 1947 to a design by architect A. Niklasson. Coats of arms along the nave walls include one linked to a local 17th-century cavalry officer.

The church bells have their own history of damage and recasting: the largest was cast in Skövde in 1738, while the other two were recast in Skara during the 18th century after presumably being damaged, one of them in 1749 and another in 1781. An ash-burial site and memorial garden lie in the churchyard.