Bromma kyrka is a so-called round church

Round church

A round church is a special type of church construction, having a completely circular plan. Round churches are often found in Sweden and Denmark and were popular church constructions in Scandinavia in the 11th and early 12th centuries.Round churches should not be confused with the older types of...

 in the borough

Borough

A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....

 Bromma in Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

, Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

. The oldest parts of the church were built in the later 12th century as a fortress church, and the church is among Stockholm's oldest buildings.

Today it has seven parts: roundhouse

Rotunda (architecture)

A rotunda is any building with a circular ground plan, sometimes covered by a dome. It can also refer to a round room within a building . The Pantheon in Rome is a famous rotunda. A Band Rotunda is a circular bandstand, usually with a dome...

, nave, choir, sacristy, grave choir, weaponhouse

Church porch

A church porch is a room at a church's main entrance.In Scandinavia the porch of a church is often called by names meaning weaponhouse. Visitors stored weapons there because of a prohibition against carrying weapons into the sanctuary, or into houses in general....

 and crypt.

History

Originally the church consisted of the round house and a choir on the east side. The nave

Nave

In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...

 and the sacristy

Sacristy

A sacristy is a room for keeping vestments and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.The sacristy is usually located inside the church, but in some cases it is an annex or separate building...

 were constructed in the mid 15th century, built in stone. In the 1480s Albertus Pictor

Albertus Pictor

Albertus Pictor , also called Albert Pictor, Albert Målare and Albrekt Pärlstickare , is the most famous late medieval Swedish painter, known for his wallpaintings surviving in numerous churches in southern and central Sweden.-Career:Albertus was originally called Albertus Immenhusen,...

 or his pupils painted more than forty biblical church wall paintings, which were restored from overpaints by restorations in 1905-1906. Motives of the paintings are taken from both the Old

Old Testament

The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...

 and the New Testament

New Testament

The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....

. On the southern wall of the round house is a crucifix dated from the 15th century.

At the end of the 17th century several changes to the church were done by the vicar

Vicar

In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...

, Johannes Vultejus, vicar 1679-1700. The church's current roof, spire

Spire

A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....

, pulpit

Pulpit

Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...

 and a wooden altar

Altar

An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...

 are from this period. The pulpit, dated from 1686, is a pentagon containing fields with paintings of Christ and the four evangelists. In 1703 a grave choir was constructed for the family Hjärne. The altarpiece

Altarpiece

An altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar of a church. The altarpiece is often made up of two or more separate panels created using a technique known as panel painting. It is then called a diptych, triptych or polyptych for two,...

 is from 1818, surrounded by statues of Saint Peter

Saint Peter

Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...

 and Paul, and the church also has some handsome epitaph

Epitaph

An epitaph is a short text honoring a deceased person, strictly speaking that is inscribed on their tombstone or plaque, but also used figuratively. Some are specified by the dead person beforehand, others chosen by those responsible for the burial...

s.

Relation to other churches

Other Swedish round churches are Solna kyrka, Munsö kyrka, Voxtorps kyrka, Hagby kyrka, Valleberga kyrka, Skörstorps kyrka and Vårdsbergs kyrka.

In 1901, Bromma kyrka was one of two churches designated control point

Control point (orienteering)

A control point is a marked waypoint used in orienteering and related sports such as rogaining and adventure racing. It is located in the competition area; marked both on an orienteering map and in the terrain; and described on a control description sheet...

s for the first public orienteering

Orienteering

Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...

 competition ever held in Sweden.

Bromma kyrka was selected Stockholms län's most beautiful church in a 2006 survey among listeners to a local radio station.

See also

• Hedvig Eleonora Church
  Hedvig Eleonora Church
  Hedvig Eleonora Church is a church in central Stockholm, Sweden .The church was consecrated in 1737 and is named after the Swedish Queen Hedvig Eleonora , wife of King Charles X of Sweden...
  
  
• Katarina Church
• Maria Magdalena Church
  Maria Magdalena Church
  Maria Magdalena Church is a church on Södermalm in central Stockholm, Sweden.The church plan has a nave but no aisles. In its eastern end is a three-sided choir and the transept taking up three bays. In the corners of the crossing are enlargement from various periods, all serving liturgical...
  
  
• Sofia Church
• Solna Church
  Solna Church
  Solna kyrka is a so-called round church in the borough Solna in Stockholm, Sweden. The church is located on the headland between Brunnsviken and Ulvsundasjön, at the southern end of the cemetery Norra begravningsplatsen...
  
  
• Spånga Church
  Spånga Church
  Spånga kyrka is a church in the Spånga-Tensta borough in Stockholm, Sweden. The oldest part of the church origins from the time period 1175 – 1200. Large reconstructions and enhancements took place during the 14th century and the 15th century....