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Sjonhems kyrka

Address
622 44, Romakloster
Municipality
Gotland
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Visby

Sjonhems kyrka is a small medieval parish church at Sjonhem on Gotland, part of Vänge församling within the Diocese of Visby. Built of local natural stone, it is a modest but architecturally interesting building whose oldest parts date back to the twelfth century.



The church's earliest surviving element is its tower, built at the start of the 13th century but incorporating remains of an earlier Romanesque church from the second half of the 12th century. Excavations during a 1936 restoration uncovered foundation traces of that original nave, roughly eight metres long and five metres wide, though no trace of an earlier chancel was found. The present nave and chancel were constructed around the mid-13th century, with a sacristy added much later, in 1818.

The building follows a typical Gotland plan: a rectangular nave with a narrower, straight-ended chancel to the east, a low west tower, and three round-arched doorways. Steep saddle roofs cover the nave and chancel, while the tower is topped by a low octagonal spire with sound openings beneath a canopy roof. Inside, the nave's tent vaults are divided by a sturdy transverse arch, and the chancel has its own tall tent vault; the slightly pointed triumphal arch and tower arch reflect the transitional style of the period.

Restoration work in 1961–62, led by architects Erik Fant and Olle Karth, revealed ornamental limewash paintings in the vault crowns of the nave, thought to date from the vault construction in the mid-13th century. Medieval stained glass survives in two of the chancel's eastern windows, depicting scenes including the Nativity and the Adoration of the Magi on one side, and the raising of Lazarus and Christ's entry into Jerusalem on the other — a rare survival for a rural Gotland church.

Among the church's furnishings is a sandstone font attributed to the noted stonemason Hegvald, dated to the late 12th century, alongside a 17th-century pulpit later painted by Johan Weller and C. A. Nordberg. The altar holds a 14th-century processional crucifix set within a carved wooden altarpiece from 1735, and a large limestone stoup stands by the south entrance. A mechanical organ was built in 1964 by John Grönvall Orgelbyggeri, replacing an earlier harmonium.

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

Sjonhems kyrka

Sjonhems kyrka is a small medieval parish church at Sjonhem on Gotland, part of Vänge församling within the Diocese of Visby. Built of local natural stone, it is a modest but architecturally interesting building whose oldest parts date back to the twelfth century.

622 44, Romakloster

Explore this church: Sjonhems 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

Stenkyrka kyrka

Stenkyrka kyrka, in the parish of Stenkyrka on Gotland, is traditionally said to be the earliest church of the island's northern third, according to the medieval Gutasaga. Its long building history and rich medieval wall…

View church details: Stenkyrka kyrka
Basic listing

Rute kyrka

Rute kyrka is a medieval parish church on Gotland, within the Bunge, Rute and Fleringe parish of the Diocese of Visby. Dating largely from the 13th century, it is notable for its extensive early vaulted…

Rute kyrka, 624 58, Lärbro

View church details: Rute kyrka
Basic listing

Alskogs kyrka

Alskogs kyrka is a medieval parish church on Gotland, in Garde parish, believed to have been consecrated in the 12th century. Its history reflects several phases of rebuilding, and it retains a number of striking…

Garde Prästgård 410

View church details: Alskogs kyrka
Basic listing

Lokrume kyrka

Lokrume kyrka is a medieval parish church on Gotland, taking its name from Lauks, one of five farmsteads in the parish, whose name meant 'onion farm'. Its Romanesque stonework and tower have long marked this…

Lokrume kyrka, 621 74, Visby

View church details: Lokrume 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: ee024ec8-20d2-4658-89a6-518a23513f7d

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.