Sweden - Sigtuna, Mariakyrkan

The construction of the ‘Mariakyrkan’ (St. Mary’s Church) started in the year of 1230 and was inaugurated in 1247. It is the oldest stone building in the area around Lake Mälaren. The church was built even before Stockholm was founded. The beautiful brick exterior shows a style between Romanesque and Gothic.

The church originally belonged to a Dominican monastery, but was demolished after the Reformation in 1530 and the Mariakyrkan became the local parish church. The church is the only medieval church in Sigtuna to have survived the Reformation.

The interior houses a number of fine medieval artifacts and wall paintings. The altarpiece has sculpted figures of the 14th century (PiP 1) and beneath the beautiful stained-glass window is a magnificent altarpiece, which probably was made in Sigtuna (PiP 2).