Veta church

Church

The beautiful church with roots dating back to the 1100s has been renovated and expanded over the years. Clear features from the different ideals of the centuries remain.

The church was originally built of limestone and gray stone and today stands unplastered with tiled roofs. In the 14th century, the choir was extended and the sacristy was built in the 15th century. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the southern and northern transepts were added. In the choir loft, there are remnants of wall paintings, which are probably from the time when the church was built. In 1588, large figure paintings were made on the walls, including Saint George defeating the dragon. The wall paintings were eventually painted over but were uncovered in the 20th century.

In the southern wall of the eastern choir, there is a hagioscope, a peephole, which was for criminals and people with contagious diseases who were not allowed to enter the church. Through the peephole, they could follow the mass from a safe distance from other congregation members. The pulpit was donated by Lieutenant Colonel Gripenwaldt in the 17th century. He also offered to tear down the church and build a new one, which the farmers in Veta strongly opposed.

In the cemetery stands a bell tower from the late 1720s, built by Master Nils Uhrberg from Eksjö. South of the cemetery lies the chapel which was consecrated in 1939, designed by Norrköping's city architect Kurt von Schmalensee, who was responsible for the majority of church restorations in Östergötland in the mid-20th century.

The church is located west of Mantorp on the road to Spångsholm.