{{Infobox church | name = Fardhem Church | full_name = | other_name = | native_name = Fardhem kyrka | native_name_lang = Swedish | image = Fardhems kyrka - KMB - 16001000000694.jpg | image_size = | imagelink = | alt = | landscape = | caption = Fardhem Church, view of the exterior
| pushpin_map = Sweden Gotland | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_mapsize = 150px | relief = | map_caption = Location on Gotland | coordinates = {{coord|57.2639|18.3415|format=dms|type:landmark_region:SE|display=inline,title}} | osgraw = | location = | country = Sweden | denomination = Church of Sweden | diocese = Visby }} '''Fardhem Church''' ({{langx|sv|Fardhems kyrka}}) is a medieval church in Fardhem on the Swedish island of Gotland. The present-day church may have been preceded by a stave church; the current church is one of the most well-preserved Romanesque churches on Gotland, built in stages from the 12th to 13th century. It belongs to the Church of Sweden and lies in the Diocese of Visby.
==History== According to the Gutasaga, one of the earliest churches on Gotland was built in Fardhem. If so, this was a stave church of which nothing remains today. Early graves found in the area however indicate that there might well have been a wooden church at the site of the presently visible one early on.<ref name="gotkyrkor">{{cite book |editor1-last=Lagerlöf|editor1-first=Erland|last= Lagerlöf|first= Erland|title= Gotlands kyrkor|language=sv|year= 1973|publisher= Rabén & Sjögren|location= Uddevalla|isbn= 9129410355|pages=133–134}}</ref><ref name="DMG">{{cite book |last= Andrén|first= Anders|language=sv|title= Det Medeltida Gotland. En arkeologisk guidebok|year= 2011|publisher= Historiska Media|location= Lund|isbn= 978-91-85873-83-8|pages=221–222}}</ref>
The church seen today is also of considerable age. It is a Romanesque building, erected in stages from the end of the 12th century to the second quarter of the 13th century. Only the vestry is later, added in 1871-72 and designed by Axel Haig (known in Sweden by his original name Axel Herman Hägg.<ref name="gotkyrkor"/>
==Architecture== The exterior of the church has a uniform, Romanesque appearance. It is considered to be one of the best-preserved Romanesque churches on Gotland (at least externally). Especially noteworthy is the choir portal. It is decorated with a few rather primitive sculpted elements, difficult to interpret. The work has been attributed to the locally active stone sculptor Hegvald<ref name="signum">{{cite book |editor1-last=Karlsson|editor1-first=Lennart|last= Svanberg|first= Jan|title= Signums svenska konsthistoria: Den romanska konsten|language=sv|year= 1995|publisher= Signum|location= Lund|isbn= 91-87896-23-0|page=199}}</ref> but may also be the work of some unknown master from Jutland. There are no comparable works on Gotland.<ref name="gotkyrkor"/><ref name="DMG"/>
The interior of the church is less well-preserved. Fragments of murals from the 14th century were discovered during a restoration in 1951–52, and are now again visible. The baptismal font is Romanesque, probably a work by the sculptor known by the notname Semi-Byzantios, but only the foot remains. Most other furnishings are from the 17th and 18th centuries.<ref name="gotkyrkor"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{commons category-inline|Fardhems kyrka}}
{{Churches on Gotland}}
Category:Churches in Gotland County Category:Churches in the Diocese of Visby Category:Romanesque architecture in Sweden Category:Churches converted from the Roman Catholic Church to the Church of Sweden