Stenkyrka Church, Medieval church in Stenkyrka, Sweden

Stenkyrka Church is a white limestone church with a tall square tower on its left, topped by a steep shingled brown spire with a thin spirelet. The lower, wider nave to the right has a steep roof clad in vertical brown wooden boards, round-arched windows, and two arched doorways with brown wooden doors. A tall stone monument stands before the facade.

Construction began in the mid-13th century with the choir completed first. The main vessel was consecrated in 1255 by the bishop of Linköping.

The murals inside date from three periods: ornamental work from the mid-13th century, later 13th-century animals and marble imitation, and biblical scenes from the late 14th century. The oldest is the painted masonry of the triumphal arch, visible as red and grey blocks outlined in dark lines with a vine motif.

This church belongs to a parish that manages several nearby churches and holds regular services. Visitors should respect typical opening hours for churches on Gotland and dress appropriately for a sacred space.

The oldest dated gravestone on Gotland lies in the choir, laid over Licnatus from Stenstu, who died in 1200. It is the earliest known island stone with a recorded year of death, and a second slab, probably carved around 1350, shows a man for Jakob and Botvid.