Skanela Church

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Skånela Church is a medieval Lutheran church in the Archdiocese of Uppsala in Stockholm County, Sweden. It is one of the oldest churches in Stockholm County.HistorySkånela Church is one of the oldest churches in Stockholm County, erected in the 1160s, and located in a cultural landscape with ancient traditions. There are fifteen runestones located in and in the close vicinity of the church.The architect may have come from nearby Sigtuna, or possibly Lund; both cities with considerable church building activity during this period. The architect was very probably educated abroad and may have come from present-day Germany. Skånela Church subsequently served as a model for later churches in the area, and its details show that considerable skill and effort was spent on its building. The church may have been erected by a local landowner, most probably the owner of nearby Skånelaholm Castle, who possibly fell out of favour with the ruler, Birger Jarl, as the church appears to have been confiscated and is later (1276) mentioned as being sold to the nearby Sko Abbey (today the parish church of Skokloster Castle).The church was expanded in the 14th century, when a chapel and a vestry were added. In the 15th century the church was decorated internally with frescos depicting the Coronation of the Virgin. At the same time the tower was raised two storeys. During the 18th century, a burial chapel for the Swedish noble family Jennings was added. The church has been devastated by fire on at least two occasions, in 1642 and 1806, but still retains much of its medieval ambience.