At home again, at least for a while.
Though I will miss working at Östergötland County museum, and I hope that I might return for more work, it is always good to be home.
Over the last weeks I’ve been around Linköping and watching some scenic spots. Linköping is one of five medieval towns in the County and has been the centre of the church since at least the 12th century in Östergötland.
Vreta cloister was founded in 1128 (just a few km west of Linköping, see this post) and the oldest parts of the dome is from the 12th century. St Lars (Laurentii) is the other medieval church within the city limits.
- St Lars
While the medieval church has been destroyed and replaced one can still visit the foundations of the medieval church, it has been excavated and preserved under the floor of the church.
Underneath the floor one can see the walls and plan of the Romanesque church as well as a lot of the fins that have mead during the excavations here.
A grave underneath the medieval church.
Among the interesting finds are two medieval coffins made of tree that has been preserved.
At plain sight is the church tower that in part, the first three floors, is medieval.
If you have the chance to visit the crypt aka the foundations of the medieval church it is a real treat.
The medieval part of the tower goes up just below the tower hatches.
The stairs up to the first floor of the tower.
On the wall one can see the where the old roof of the church has been.
The stairs to the third floor.
At the church and in the cemetery several sepulchral monuments called Eskilstuna kistor (cists) has been found. These cists are normally dated to the 11th century and are often decorated with ornaments that resembles the Viking Age and those found carved on Stave churches (more info here), if there is any inscriptions on them they are normally made with runes. This gives a strong indication that there has been an even older church before the Romanesque one, possibly a stave church.
One of sepulchral monument found in St Lars.
This one is on display on the ground floor in the tower.
There is yet more to come from Linköping
Best wishes
Magnus Reuterdahl
