Vallentuna Church

Vallentuna Church is one of Uppland's oldest and most historically rich churches, with roots dating back to the 1190s when the original stone church was built. Since the Middle Ages, it has served as the parish church of Vallentuna parish, and today it stands beautifully on the northern shore of Lake Vallentuna.

Architecture and history

The church building is constructed of stone with a rectangular nave, transepts to the north and south, and a tower at the western gable end. The outer walls have never been rendered, which gives the church an ancient and authentic appearance. Over the centuries, the building has been modified and expanded – among other things, a burial chapel for the Klingspor family was added in the 17th century, whose upper part today houses the sacristy. After a devastating fire in 1856, the church was rebuilt, and a restoration was carried out in the 1930s when the burial chapel's vault and spire were reconstructed and clad in copper.

In and around the church there are seven runic inscriptions from the Viking Age and Middle Ages. Among them is the runestone U 214, which contains Sweden's oldest known text with end rhyme, and U 212 with inscriptions linked to the well-known Jarlabanke. The church also contains medieval communion vessels and censers, a brass chandelier from the late 16th century, and a pulpit from the 1850s. The south transept chapel houses a baptismal font, and a reed organ from the early 2000s completes the rich musical heritage.

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