Sweden - Härkeberga kyrka

Härkeberga kyrka, standing on a small ridge in a further flat and green countryside, does look like many other small Swedish village churches. We had to wait twenty minutes before a carekeeper opened its door.
Once inside we didn’t know not what we saw. This is without any doubt one of the most beautiful churches we have ever visited. Walls and ceilings are completely covered with beautiful murals.

Härkeberga kyrka is dating back to the early 14th century. Few alterations were made, but mid 15th century the church was extended. Arches and vaults of the church are very richly decorated with frescos, which were made with lime paint by the famous artist Albertus Pictor around the year of 1480.

The images of the paintings are based on both the Old and New Testament. They refer to the ‘Biblia Pauperum’, a medieval book that describes events from the Bible in pictures, especially for poor and illiterate people.

The murals of the vaults at Härkeberga Church are unique because they have never been covered nor restored; what meets your eyes today is also what churchgoers in the Middle Ages did see. Colour is the only thing that has changed in Pictor’s work; at the time they were made the colours were much stronger and made an even greater impact. What we today as dark brown or black was red, because the kind of paint used for the red colour has simply oxidized with time.