Tensta Church
Province: Uppland
Municipality: Uppsala
1270-1290
Index
Google map
Tensta church was constructed in the end of 13th century. It is one of the largest churches in the rural part of Uppsala diocese and probably paid by a local nobleman at Salsta castle. The church is constructed with bricks, an unusual material in this area.
Original the internal height was 16 meter and vaulted by wooden barrel vaults. The old roof-trusses are still in use. The western vault was from beginning a separate chapel probably used by the patrons or as a baptismal chapel.
In the beginning of the 15th century the church was vaulted with brick vaults and the western chapel was incorporated in the church.
In 1437 the church was painted by Johannes Rosenrod. The south wall of the chancel holds following text "Anno Domini MCDXXXVII pictus erat chourus iste in honorem iesu Christi et eius gloriose marie per manum johannis rosenrod ipso auxiliante qui fecit mundum ex nichilio"
"In the year of our Lord 1437, to the glory of Jesus Christ and His venerable mother Mary, this chancel was painted by the hand of Johannis Rosenrod, aided by him who created the world out of nought." The paintings were paid by the Councilor Bent Jönsson owner of Slats castle. An artist from the Albertus Pictor workshop painted some of the paintings on the south wall of the 1st vault and in the porch at the end of the 15th century.
Folke Nordströn has found an intresting connection between Speculum Virginum and the paintings in the Chancel of Tensta Church.
Tord Harlin, Bengt Z Norström, Hinmlaporten, Möte med Tensta kyrka (The Gate of Heaven - A visit to Tensta Church), Tensta 2002.
Bengt Söderberg,Svenska kyrkomålningar från medeltiden, Stockholm 1951 p 158-165
Folke Nordström: Det mystiska paradiset enligt Speculum Virginum och Johannes Rosenrods kormålningar i Tensta kyrka (Folke Nordström: The Mystic Paradise according to the Speculum Virginum and Johannes Rosenrod's Paintings in the Chancel of Tensta Church.) in Fornvännen 1955
Per-Olof Westlund: En Upplandskyrkas gotiska trätunnvalv. Undersökning rörande proportioneringsmetoderna i Tensta kyrka (The Gothic Barrel-vaults of an Uppland Church. An investigation of the methods of proportioning in Tensta Church.) in Fornvännen 1944
