Church ruins of Agnestad

The Church ruins of Agnestad are church ruins (Swedish: Ödekyrka) in Falköping parish in Västra Götaland, Sweden.

Foundations of the Church of Agnestad

Description

Only two ground level walls of this Medieval church survive to this day. The remains of the foundations show that the floor plan was that of a round church (Swedish: rundkyrka). Its round central room had a diameter of about seven metres and the walls were 1.1 metres thick. In the east, there was a rectangular apse, which probably housed the altar. The church was surrounded by an old church square, paved with flat stones.[1] The ruins are located to the north of the Ålleberg castle and southeast of Falköping. On account of the church's small size, it is assumed that the congregation were accustomed to stand during services.

History

The church was built in the second half of the twelfth century. Like the Skörstorp Church and the Dimbo-Ottravad Church, it was commissioned by the Bishop of Skara, Bengt I the Good.[2] According to other sources, it was established by Saint Sigfrid of Sweden.[3] Both Bengt and Sigfrid were bishops of Skara. The establishment of the Östra Gerum Church some ten kilometres to the east and the Friggeråker Church about four kilometres to the north is also ascribed to Sigfrid.[4]

Archaeological excavations revealed the remains of early Christian stone graves from the 11th century.[5] The results of this ork indicate that a wooden church must have already stood on this site before the stone one. In the second half of the 16th century the church was abandoned.[6]

References
  1. Seeaerial photographs Archived 2014-01-02 at the Wayback Machine and this close photo
  2. Peter Eriksson Lindskog, Försök till en korrt beskrifning om Skara Stift. 5 Volumes, 1812–1816
  3. e.g., according to "Vidhem-priest" Laurentius in his appendix of the Västgötalagen. His statements about the deeds of St. Sigfrid are however partially contradicted by the chronicle of Adam of Bremen and as a result the historicity of his claims about St Sigfrid is controversial. Discussion of the controversy about the historicity of Saint Sigfrid (Swedish).
  4. See digitised version of the Äldre Västgötalagen by Lars-Olof Delsing (Institutionen för nordiska språk)
  5. See Bengt Wadbring: Bengans Historiasidor – Historien sett från västergötland.
  6. Information of the Falköping regional authority on the Church ruins of Agnestad

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