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Vårkumla kyrka

Address
Vårkumla kyrka
Municipality
Falköpings Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Skara

Vårkumla kyrka is a small parish church in Kinnevered parish, Skara diocese, standing on a ridge in Västra Götaland amid ancient burial monuments. Built mainly in the 12th and 13th centuries, it remains a modest but historically rich rural church with notable medieval carvings and gravestones.



The church was constructed largely between around 1135 and 1250, and stands on a site already marked by earlier history: nearby are a stone setting and a stone circle of twelve stones, along with a rune stone in the churchyard. The building has a straight-ended chancel to the east, with a porch to the south and a sacristy to the north added at later dates.

Inside, the crossed vaults and the wall paintings in the nave are thought to date from the late medieval period, probably the 15th century, while the paintings in the chancel are attributed to the 17th century. Sources note some uncertainty over exact dating, as is common with such decorative schemes.

One of the most treasured items is a seated wooden Madonna figure carved around the middle of the 13th century, roughly 122 centimetres tall, and among the older Marian sculptures associated with Skara diocese. Four saints' figures, once part of a late 15th-century altar cabinet, also survive, along with an 18th-century brass candlestick on the altar.

Outside, at the church wall, visitors can see five so-called lily stones, a stave-cross slab, and several medieval gravestones, including two carved with runic inscriptions. The best preserved of these, known as Vg 139, stands against the church's south wall and bears a runic verse commemorating a father and son.

A tower is said to have stood at the church until 1671, when it was removed and the nave extended; the present freestanding bell tower, housing two bells, was built in 1823. According to local sources the bells were traditionally rung by hand, with a local heritage association helping with evening ringing during the summer months, though whether this practice continues currently is not confirmed here. The church's first pipe organ was installed comparatively recently, in 1952, and the building underwent renovation, inside and out, in 1996.

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.

Floby pastorat

Vårkumla kyrka

Vårkumla kyrka is a small parish church in Kinnevered parish, Skara diocese, standing on a ridge in Västra Götaland amid ancient burial monuments. Built mainly in the 12th and 13th centuries, it remains a modest but historically rich rural church with notable medieval carvings and gravestones.

Vårkumla kyrka

Explore this church: Vårkumla 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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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: 10 Jun 2022. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: 98b4bc78-d027-4041-a50d-b69ef0e44f18

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.