Morlanda Church, Medieval church in Orust Municipality, Sweden
Morlanda Church is a place of worship on the island of Orust, built with stone walls and classic Swedish architectural style. The notable bell tower, added in the 18th century, rises prominently above the main structure.
The medieval church, Orust's best-preserved, retains only its nearly two-metre-thick walls from that period. The interior took its present form in the 17th century, and the choir was added in 1690. The old bell tower was demolished in 1765 when the west tower was built, gaining its current appearance in 1820. From 1649 to 1921 it served as a patronage church.
The church was a patronage church from 1649 to 1921, and a surviving patronage bench and a gallery placed higher than the others show this status. The medieval stone altar and the 1616 brass baptismal bowl are still in use.
Morlanda Church stands in the north-western part of Orust Municipality, in Morlanda parish within the Diocese of Gothenburg. The interior is essentially unchanged since the 1760s, so the pews, gallery and painted ceiling are seen as they were then. The walls are whitewashed and the ceilings and roofs painted black.
The organ on the north gallery, Morlandaorgeln, is Sweden's oldest playable organ. It was probably built in 1603-1604 by the Belgian organ builder Hans Brebos in Copenhagen, stood first in Marstrand Church, and was sold at auction in 1804 to Abraham Gustav Bildt, who moved it to Morlanda. It is tuned in choir pitch at a=456 Hz, about a quarter tone above normal.
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