Danderyd Church — stone church with rare Gustav Vasa paintings

A Church with Deep Roots

Danderyd Church is mentioned in written sources as early as 1314, which suggests that a wooden church or simpler stone church stood on the site beforehand. The current church building was erected around 1400 as a small single-nave gray stone church with a sacristy north of the choir. The church is located at Angantyrvägen 39 in Djursholm.

The Banér Family's Right of Patronage and 16th Century Reconstruction

At the beginning of the 16th century, the right of patronage — the right to appoint priests and finance the church's maintenance — passed to the noble Banér family at Djursholm. The family financed a comprehensive transformation of the church: star vaults in brick were constructed, a southern extension was built, and the entire church interior was decorated with lime paintings. These paintings are unusual and valuable: they date from the time of Gustav Vasa and are among the few preserved examples from this period in Sweden, a time when the Reformation broke with the Catholic artistic tradition.

Architecture and Bell Tower

The church was gradually transformed during the 16th and 17th centuries and acquired the character of a hall church — a church without interior pillars — with three naves and a new western gable. A bell tower was erected in 1728 on a hilltop nearby. The church also preserves the Banér family grave monument, a magnificent sepulcher that testifies to the family's role in the church's history.

Visiting the Church

Danderyd Church is an active place of worship in Danderyd parish. Contact the parish for current opening hours. The church is accessible by Roslagsbanan to Djursholms ösby or by bus to Djursholm.