Garde Church

Garde Church
Garde kyrka
Garde Church, view from the south east
Garde Church Location on Gotland Show map of Gotland Garde Church Garde Church (Europe) Show map of Europe
57°19′02″N 18°34′56″E / 57.31712°N 18.58229°E / 57.31712; 18.58229
Country	Sweden
Denomination	Church of Sweden

Garde Church (Swedish: Garde kyrka, sometimes also Garda Church) is a medieval church in Garde on the Swedish island of Gotland. It was built in stages during the Middle Ages. The oldest part is the nave and the base of the tower, while the most recently constructed part is the large chancel. A large renovation was carried out in the 1960s. Garde Church together with its cemetery and its four lychgates constitute one of the most well-preserved medieval church ensembles in Sweden.

The church is built of limestone and whitewashed. Three of its portals are of a simple, Romanesque design, typical for the oldest churches on Gotland. The fourth portal, leading to the chancel, is Gothic in style. The church contains wall paintings from c. 1200 in Russo-Byzantine style, unique in Sweden. Some of its furnishings, such as the baptismal font and the triumphal cross also date from the same time, while the altarpiece is from the 17th century. It belongs to the Church of Sweden and lies in the Diocese of Visby.