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Veta kyrka

Address
Veta kyrka 1, Mantorp
Municipality
Mjölby Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Linköping

Veta kyrka, standing near Mantorp in Östergötland, dates back to the 1100s and combines early medieval origins with later additions from Sweden's Age of Greatness. Its striking freestanding bell tower and richly painted interior make it a rewarding stop for visitors interested in Swedish church history.



The church's oldest sections, built of limestone and fieldstone, date from the 1100s, with the earliest written record of the church and parish appearing in 1334. During the 1400s a sacristy was added and the nave received brick vaulting, with a cross vault to the west and a star vault to the east, while the chancel gained two cross vaults. The building was later extended into a cross-shaped church, with the south transept added in 1687 and the north transept in 1759; a small timber porch followed in 1973.

Inside, visitors can admire well-preserved wall and ceiling paintings, with some fragments dating from the 1200s and a larger body of work from the 1500s. The layout still allows the original east–west oriented church to be traced within the larger cross-shaped structure. A heavily iron-fitted door, once belonging to the earliest church, is now kept inside the porch.

A notable curiosity is a small opening, or "peephole", in the south wall of the east chancel. It is thought to have allowed people barred from entering the church—such as those accused of crimes or suffering from contagious illness—to follow the mass from outside.

Among the furnishings, the font is believed to have come from the workshop of Michael Hacke in Skänninge, while the pulpit dates from 1689 and was remodelled in 1712. The church also contains several memorial stones and epitaphs to local landowning families, including the Wennerstedt and Gripenwaldt families, reflecting the church's long connection with the surrounding estates.

In the churchyard stands a separate wooden bell tower, built in 1727–1728 by master builder Uhrberg of Eksjö. The church's organ history spans several instruments, from an 18th-century positive organ and a later 19th-century organ, to the current mechanical organ installed in 1971, which retains an organ case from 1781.

Opening hours

Opening hours have not been confirmed for the current date. This does not mean the church is closed.

Additional opening information is awaiting translation. Check the official visitor-information link before travelling.

Check access with the parish before travelling. Services and seasonal changes can affect visits.

Facilities & accessibility

  • Parking

Listed by the provider; availability has not been independently checked. An unlisted facility is not necessarily unavailable.

Vifolka församling

Veta kyrka

Veta kyrka, standing near Mantorp in Östergötland, dates back to the 1100s and combines early medieval origins with later additions from Sweden's Age of Greatness. Its striking freestanding bell tower and richly painted interior make it a rewarding stop for visitors interested in Swedish church history.

Veta kyrka 1, Mantorp

Explore this church: Veta 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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Vikingstads kyrka

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Basic listing

Gamleby kyrka

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View church details: Gamleby 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: 25 May 2026. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: f401b3c4-c60f-4111-8975-6fa24d31020b

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.

Suggest a correction

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.