Aa Church (Danish : Aa kirke), located in Aakirkeby on the Danish island of Bornholm, is a Romanesque church dating from the 12th century. It is the parish church of Aaker Parish.
Aa Church (Danish : Aa kirke), located in Aakirkeby on the Danish island of Bornholm, is a Romanesque church dating from the 12th century. It is the parish church of Aaker Parish.
Aa Church, which literally means "stream church", owes its name to the two streams which run beside it. Dedicated to John the Baptist, it was first known as Sankt Hans kirke (St John's Church). A gilded figure of St John stood in the church until 1706 but was buried in the churchyard by the priest as it was attracting undue attention from Catholic prisoners during the Great Northern War. [1]
The church was built in the latter half of the 12th century in several stages. The oldest remaining sections are the choir and apse and the lower parts of the nave, all characterized by greenish sandstone and rust-brown shale from nearby Grødby Stream. The western end of the nave and the tower are made of limestone. The men's door to the south and the women's door to the north have both been preserved although the latter has been transformed into a window. [2]
The tower was originally narrower on the western side but was already widened to its current dimensions of 13 by 11 metres during the Romanesque period. With its four floors, it reaches a height of 22 metres. The twin roofs from the 14th century probably replaced a four-sided pyramid. The bells now hang here although they were originally housed in the Bornholm fashion in a separate bell tower to the south of the church. The vaulted rooms in the tower were once used to store foodstuffs. The porch of Nexø sandstone, the oldest on Bornholm, is slightly more recent than the tower but still dates to the Romanesque period around 1200–1235. [2]
The nave is large and light with a flat wooden ceiling. The vaulted ceiling from the Gothic period c. 1350 is supported by four rectangular corner pillars. It was earlier divided into two by arcade walls and had a gallery for the nobles from the now ruined Lilleborg Castle. During major restoration work in 1874, the arcade walls were torn down giving the church its present shape. Further restoration was carried out in 1968. [2] [3]
The altarpiece and pulpit date from 1603, probably the work of the sculptor Johan Ottho from Lund. With 11 scenes of Jesus' life, the sandstone font from 1200 is ascribed to the Gotland sculptor Sigraf. [3]
Østerlars Church is a historic building located just north of the village of Østerlars, 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) south of Gudhjem on the island of Bornholm, Denmark. It is the largest and, possibly, the oldest of the island's four round churches.
St. Ib's Church, 3 km south-west of Svaneke on the Danish island of Bornholm, is a fine 12th century Romanesque building. The altarpiece was painted by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg in 1846. The Renaissance pulpit was decorated by Paul Høm in 1964 with ceramics of the four evangelists.
Svaneke Church is located in the small town of Svaneke on the Danish island of Bornholm. It stands above the harbour at a height of 18 metres on the site of a small chapel which appears to have existed for quite some time before the town received its charter in the 16th century. The church was expanded over the years, the tower and spire being completed in 1789. In 1881, virtually the whole building was rebuilt by architect Mathias Bidstrup of Rønne, leaving only the tower and a small section of the south wall.
Ny Kirke is a 12th-century round church located in the village of Nyker some 7 km from Rønne on the Danish island of Bornholm. Built in the Romanesque style with two storeys, it contains frescos from various periods and a pulpit with 17th century-panels.
Sankt Ols Kirke, also known as Olsker Church, is a 12th-century round church located in the village of Olsker, 4 km (2.5 mi) south of Allinge on the Danish island of Bornholm. Built in the Romanesque style and reaching three storeys high, it has from the beginning consisted of a round nave, a choir and an apse.
Østermarie Church, in the village of Østermarie near Svaneke on the Danish island of Bornholm, was originally built in the early 13th century. While it was being demolished in 1890, it was discovered it was of considerable architectural interest and work was stopped. The new church from 1891 is also in the Romanesque style.
St. Bodil's Church is a parish church dating from the 13th century located in Denmark, 4 km west of Nexø on the Danish island of Bornholm.
Nylars Church is a 12th-century round church in the village of Nylars near Rønne in the south of the Danish island of Bornholm. Originally designed for a defensive role, the solid structure contains a series of 13th-century frescos, the oldest of Bornholm's four round churches.
St. Peter's Church is a Romanesque parish church some 6 km east of Aakirkeby on the Danish island of Bornholm. It is thought to be the oldest church on the island.
St. Canute's Church is a Romanesque church located 3 km northeast of Rønne on the Danish island of Bornholm.
St. Paul's Church is a Romanesque church near Nexø on the Danish island of Bornholm. Unlike similar churches on the island, it has no tower.
Vestermarie Church is located in the little village of Vestermarie some 8 km east of Rønne on the Danish island of Bornholm. The present Neo-Romanesque church replaces a now demolished 14th-century building.
Tingsted Church, located on high ground in the village of Tingsted on the Danish island of Falster, dates from c. 1200. Built in the Romanesque style, it is best known for its frescos from the end of the 15th century.
Stubbekøbing Church is located in Stubbekøbing some 18 km (11 mi) northeast of Nørre Alslev on the Danish island of Falster. The basilical nave was built of limestone in the Late Romanesque period. Choir and tower are of brick, the choir built in Early Gothic style, tower and the northern chapels in the 15th century in Late Gothic style. In addition to its Renaissance altarpiece and pulpit, it has a variety of old frescos and wall decorations (1300–1500).
Eskilstrup Church is a church in Eskilstrup, Denmark. The church dates from the 12th century and was built in the Romanesque style. In accordance with a local tradition, it is painted red. It is best known for its frescos, said to be Denmark's oldest.
Anderslöv Church is a medieval Lutheran church built in the Romanesque style. Located in the village of Anderslöv, some 11 km (7 mi) southeast of Svedala in southern Sweden, it belongs to the Diocese of Lund. The church is noted for the medieval paintings which decorate its vaulted ceiling.
Östra Hoby Church is a medieval Lutheran church built in the Romanesque style. Located 4 km east of Borrby in Skåne County in southern Sweden, it belongs to the Diocese of Lund. The church is noted for its murals and for its sculpted baptismal font.
Saint Peter's Church is a Lutheran church located in the center of Slagelse, Denmark. The congregation was originally part of the Roman Catholic Church, but was converted to Lutheranism during the Reformation.
Lillerød Church is a parish church in Lillerød, Allerød Municipality, some 20 km north of central Copenhagen, Denmark.
Ramsåsa Church is a medieval church in Ramsåsa, Scania, Sweden. It belongs to the Church of Sweden. It was built around 1200, and the tower added in the 15th century. The church contains medieval murals from three different periods, a late Romanesque rood cross and a medieval baptismal font.
55°04′14″N14°55′09″E / 55.07056°N 14.91917°E
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