|

Churches: The Dome church St:a Maria (St. Mary) with 3 towers was built by Germans in the end of the 12th century. It's the only church still in use. At The Cliff Terrace
was since 1190 a German visitor church, as probably one Russian church in the quarter of "The monk". In the NE corner bishop Albert from Riga built a guest church dedicated to St Jakob,
and during 1220 the Dominicans built their friary and the big church of St Nikolai. In the 1240s the Order of the Germans in Visby probably raised the hospitality and the church of
'Helge And', while the Franciscan Order were residing above 'Stora Torget' [The big square] in 1233. St Per and St Clemens and St Olof became churches before 1200.
St:a Karin (or Katarina) was founded by the Franciscans in 1233, with building of the Church beginning in the 1250s and continuing through the 14th century. The Church was built with large
stained glass windows, seven altars inside the church and an organ was installed in 1404, making St:a Karin the richest church on Gotland including the monastary. Close to the Big Square
are also the church ruins of Drotten (formerly called the Trinity Church) and St Lars. Both were built at the end of 13th cent.
The harbour entrance was defended by Kruttornet [Gun powder tower] from the year 1166. It connects with the sea wall which was built in the middle of the 13th century.
All these buildings show the fast growth of Visby during the Medieval times. Some of the churches in the countryside of Gotland had their own defence towers close to the churches.
There is an impressiv number of stone churches in the countryside, previously 94, but today three of these are desert churches. There are 92 churches still in use on Gotland. Most
ruins are in Visby. In a small community as Eskelhem only 6 very rich farmers built and paid for their own, and all churches hired stonemasons from Germany and painters from Italy to decorate.
But of course, the local farmers did a big part of the work of these monuments. These craftsmen and tradesmen from abroad lived a very dangerous life when they travalled around in Europe
at that time. All church bells have been intonated, and formaly most church bells were produced in Germany.
|