We made a roadtrip some weekends ago to the Lovö Church, in the middle of Lovön, which is the island where even the Swedish Royal Court has it’s home, Drottningholm Palace.

This Church is actually the church we wanted to have our own wedding in. We were so happy when we finally found a smaller church with personal character, but when we went in there, we were told that the church would be closed due to restoration of the interior during that period in 2004.

How typical, but since Drottningholm Palace Church is very nearby we stopped there at the way back – and that’s how we found the church we were married in.

Lovö Church is from the second half of the 12th century, but they believe that there even have been an older church in wood before that, because during a restoration in 1930 they found rune stones that were from the early half of the 12th century.

The architect is believed to be Nicodemus Tessin the Elder, who was working on Drottningholm Palace around this same time. The church of today is unusually long and narrow. The reason for that is that it has been extended twice, in the 13th century and in the 17th century.

The church got it’s current tower in the years of 1727 – 1728 from the Swedish queen Ulrika Eleonora.

The rune stones are over the first local Christian persons in the early 11th century. They have been collected from the surroundings and even found in the Church wall.

This one above is rune stone U 47 – all rune stones are numbered, most of them date from the late Viking Age, and it lasted into the 12th century. Most runestones are in Sweden or Denmark and to a lesser amount in Norway.

There are 5 of them at Lovö Church, I managed to get photos of 4 of them, which you can see if you click the link to view the slideshow in the end of the post.

Lovö Church is one of Swedens oldest churches. The whole island of Lovö is incredible rich of ancient remains and one of Swedens first settlements can be found there.

I love this old stone church with Roman windows, medieval cross and the rune stones. It’s very beautiful located out in the country side like this.

There is also a monument from 1769, an obelisk drawn by Jean Eric Rehn which were paid by the Swedish King’s mother, Queen Lovisa Ulrika of Prussia.

In this way she wanted to show her gratitude over her son’s, Gustav III, tutors Olof von Dalin and Samuel Klingenstierna, to honor their graves.

Lovö Church where a Kings church, even afterwards when Drottningholm Palace Church were built, so there are more gifts from the King to this church than others. In the church room there is 30-some graves, most of them connected to the Drottningholm Palace.

You can see some photos from the church interior at Wikipedia, since it were not open when we were there.

The Vicar and Psalm Author Anders Frostenson is buried in this graveyard. He has written 146 (!) of the psalms in 1986 years Swedish psalm book, many of the most popular ones. He was a vicar here in the years of 1949-1971.

I also found an old map of Lovö Church at the National Archives and the regional state archives of Sweden, which is a typical example of an older geometric map with compass card and scales, which is from around 1640-1644. (Click on the map to enlarge a bit)

There is one more reason for going there, but I think it’s better in the spring or summer season: to meet the Bombardier Beetle. It’s supposed to be find in the alley leading up to the church. When it get worried it can release a secretion that’s evaporating fast and makes a popping sound.

Click to see Lifecruiser photos of Lovö Church slideshow.

Lifecruiser ♥ Old Churchs
 

Other Sources:
Ekerö Pastorat
Stockholms County Museum
Swedens Society for Nature Conservation
Uppsala Universitet Linnaeus Online