Ytterlännäs Old Church
Encyclopedia
The Old Church of Ytterlännäs belongs to Ytterlännäs parish in the province of Ångermanland
in Northern Sweden. It is located between Nyland and Bollstabruk
on the main road no. 333 in Kramfors Municipality
. In terms of ecclesiastical divisions, the parish belonged to the Archdiocese of Uppsala
in the Middle Ages, but has been part of the Diocese of Härnösand since that was formed in 1647.
cultural influence around Constantinople
.
From the 14th century there is a marble baptismal font from Gotland, and a crucifix.
In the 15th century a vestry and a 'weapon-house' (porch) were added, the choir was extended to make it as wide as the rest of the church, the roof was raised with vaults of brick, the windows enlarged, the Maria-bell was cast, and there is a candle-holder featuring a cock and a spiral central pillar. In the vaults and on the walls there are well-preserved fresco
s from the late 15th century, featuring a variety of biblical references and the legends of saints. It also includes an inscription interpreted by the art historian Henrik Cornell in 1918 as spelling maalede Eghil, "painted by Eghil". This was re-interpreted by Einar Bager in a 1969 publication as simply the incipit of the alphabet; the anonymous painter, who belonged to the Tierp school, is now known as Alfabetsmästaren, the Alphabet Master.
An altarpiece in the Lübeck style has been displayed in several positions.
The Ytterlännäs Madonna from Haaken Gulleson
's Hälsingland workshop features both the coat of arms of the archdiocese, to which the church belonged at the time, and the personal arms (the claw of an eagle) of Archbishop Jakob Ulfsson, and is presumably a donation made on the occasion of his visit in 1507.
From the 17th century there are pews, a wooden floor with broad planks and one panel of a pulpit; the first of the galleries' three sections is dated 1652.
In the 18th century a rare second gallery was added, as well as a new pulpit and a new altarpiece featuring a sculpture of the Last Supper with 1+13 round the table. Under protest the paintings of saints on the wall, the saints images in the ceilings and the other decoration was not touched. In 1773 the separate bell-tower burned down and was replaced by mounting the bells above the church itself, under a broken roof.
In the mid-19th century a larger church was needed to house the growing population, and it was decided to re-use the stones from the old church to build a new: but in an impassioned and rhetorical speech, magistrate Carl Martin Schönmeyer, the owner of the estate Angsta gård, managed to turn the decision in favour of leaving the old church untouched. It was abandoned and the Maria-bell was used at the smaller of two bells in the new church.
The Ytterlännäs new church
was opened in 1854 with Israel Israelsson Näslund (1796-1858) as the vicar.
In 1937 art historian and newspaper editor Gustaf Näsström made a plea for donations towards a restoration of the church, after which the whitewash was carefully removed a far as was possible; in 1950, to mark the 100th anniversary of the decision not to demolish the old church, the Maria-bell was returned from the new church.
In 1963 architect Lars Holmer carried out detailed measurements and drew elevations from east, west and south, a plan, and sections along the breadth and length.
In 1964 the brother Gösta and Torsten Melin made a documentary film, which was certified by Prof. Henrik Cornell as 'the first colour film made in Sweden about a mediaeval church'; in 1978 they also filmed the extensive renovation which was carried out then; both films are now available on DVD.
In 1995 the Old Church became a 'roadside church' and today it is open seven days a week for seven weeks after mid-summer, with guiding, a coffee house, a mediaeval workshop, music and other activities.
Ångermanland
' is a historical province or landskap in the north of Sweden. It borders to Medelpad, Jämtland, Lapland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia. The name "Ångermanland" comes from the Old Norse "anger", which means "deep fjord" and refers to the deep mouth of the river Ångermanälven...
in Northern Sweden. It is located between Nyland and Bollstabruk
Bollstabruk
Bollstabruk is a locality situated in Kramfors Municipality, Västernorrland County, Sweden with 2,118 inhabitants in 2005....
on the main road no. 333 in Kramfors Municipality
Kramfors Municipality
Kramfors Municipality is a municipality in Västernorrland County, northern Sweden. Its seat is located in the town Kramfors....
. In terms of ecclesiastical divisions, the parish belonged to the Archdiocese of Uppsala
Archdiocese of Uppsala
The Archdiocese of Uppsala, Lutheran 'successor' to the former Roman Catholic Swedish province, is one of the thirteen dioceses of the Church of Sweden and the only one having the status of an archdiocese.-Lutheran archdiocese:...
in the Middle Ages, but has been part of the Diocese of Härnösand since that was formed in 1647.
The building
The building dates from the early 13th century, retaining the original walls and the Romanesque outer door with its iron ornament around the keyhole, and a lion's head from c: 800 from the area of ByzantineByzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
cultural influence around Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
.
From the 14th century there is a marble baptismal font from Gotland, and a crucifix.
In the 15th century a vestry and a 'weapon-house' (porch) were added, the choir was extended to make it as wide as the rest of the church, the roof was raised with vaults of brick, the windows enlarged, the Maria-bell was cast, and there is a candle-holder featuring a cock and a spiral central pillar. In the vaults and on the walls there are well-preserved fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
s from the late 15th century, featuring a variety of biblical references and the legends of saints. It also includes an inscription interpreted by the art historian Henrik Cornell in 1918 as spelling maalede Eghil, "painted by Eghil". This was re-interpreted by Einar Bager in a 1969 publication as simply the incipit of the alphabet; the anonymous painter, who belonged to the Tierp school, is now known as Alfabetsmästaren, the Alphabet Master.
An altarpiece in the Lübeck style has been displayed in several positions.
The Ytterlännäs Madonna from Haaken Gulleson
Haaken Gulleson
Haaken Gulleson was a Swedish painter and workshop leader in the early 1500s. His signature is found on six sculptures in southern Norrland. He has long been considered to be solely a sculptor, but recent research has seen him as a painter. He didn't work alone but ran a workshop where his...
's Hälsingland workshop features both the coat of arms of the archdiocese, to which the church belonged at the time, and the personal arms (the claw of an eagle) of Archbishop Jakob Ulfsson, and is presumably a donation made on the occasion of his visit in 1507.
From the 17th century there are pews, a wooden floor with broad planks and one panel of a pulpit; the first of the galleries' three sections is dated 1652.
In the 18th century a rare second gallery was added, as well as a new pulpit and a new altarpiece featuring a sculpture of the Last Supper with 1+13 round the table. Under protest the paintings of saints on the wall, the saints images in the ceilings and the other decoration was not touched. In 1773 the separate bell-tower burned down and was replaced by mounting the bells above the church itself, under a broken roof.
In the mid-19th century a larger church was needed to house the growing population, and it was decided to re-use the stones from the old church to build a new: but in an impassioned and rhetorical speech, magistrate Carl Martin Schönmeyer, the owner of the estate Angsta gård, managed to turn the decision in favour of leaving the old church untouched. It was abandoned and the Maria-bell was used at the smaller of two bells in the new church.
The Ytterlännäs new church
Ytterlännäs new church
Ytterlännas new church is a church in Ytterlännäs in the Diocese of Härnösand.-History:The church was built in 1848 when the Ytterlännäs Old Church had become too small for the congregation. The sacristy was previously housed in an extension to the east which was built in 1896...
was opened in 1854 with Israel Israelsson Näslund (1796-1858) as the vicar.
In 1937 art historian and newspaper editor Gustaf Näsström made a plea for donations towards a restoration of the church, after which the whitewash was carefully removed a far as was possible; in 1950, to mark the 100th anniversary of the decision not to demolish the old church, the Maria-bell was returned from the new church.
In 1963 architect Lars Holmer carried out detailed measurements and drew elevations from east, west and south, a plan, and sections along the breadth and length.
In 1964 the brother Gösta and Torsten Melin made a documentary film, which was certified by Prof. Henrik Cornell as 'the first colour film made in Sweden about a mediaeval church'; in 1978 they also filmed the extensive renovation which was carried out then; both films are now available on DVD.
In 1995 the Old Church became a 'roadside church' and today it is open seven days a week for seven weeks after mid-summer, with guiding, a coffee house, a mediaeval workshop, music and other activities.