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*This octagonal church is the only one of its kind in Sweden. The magnificent upper storey opens
onto the chancel giving a clear view of the service below. Churches like these excisted in palaces and castles during the earlier medieval
period, in the Europe of Charlemagne.*
The church in Visby is nowadays also called "S:ta Gertrud", because the statue of her is reproduced and stands at the West gate. She has a miniature of the church in her arms.
She sympathized for the sick and the pore people but also for stangers.
The ruin of Helge And supposes to be the old St. Jacob's church.
St. Jacob was the saint for the pilgrims during the Middle Ages.
The ruin is situated just close to the Dome church of St. Mary (S:ta Maria).
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*This church was built in about 1200, according to one theory, by Bishop Albert of Riga as a meeting point for pilgrims and crusaders travelling to Livonia. The name "Helge And" (meaning Holy Ghost) comes from the infirmary which lay to the south of the church.*
*After the upper parts of the church had been detroyed by fire in 1611, whar remained of the buiding was turned into a barn and cowshed.*
(All text between **-symbols are information from a signboard close to Helge And in Visby)
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