St Ib's Church (Danish : Sankt Ibs Kirke) is a Romanesque church in Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. It was first mentioned in 1291. [1] The church was once richly decorated with frescos.
St Ib's Church (Danish : Sankt Ibs Kirke) is a Romanesque church in Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. It was first mentioned in 1291. [1] The church was once richly decorated with frescos.
Located on a small rise between Roskilde Fjord and the old town, the church is built on a site where there was originally a wooden church which was revealed in archaeological digs in the 1980s and 1990s. It is unclear when it was founded but it certainly existed in the 11th century. Between 1100 and 1150, the wooden church was pulled down to be replaced by a Romanesque stone church. [2] It was built of travertine limestone in about 1100 and originally consisted of a nave and a chancel with flat ceilings, extending over a length of 22 m (72 ft). In the 13th century, six tall slender windows were added as well as a tower and a porch. The flat ceiling was replaced by vaults. St Ib's was a parish church until 1808 when the congregation moved to St Jørgenbjerg Church. During the Napoleonic Wars it was used as an infirmary for Spanish soldiers. It was sold to a merchant in 1815 who demolished everything but the nave which he used as a warehouse. The church was repurchased by the Diocese of Zealand in 1884 and was restored in 1922. [3] [4] Today the church, which is no longer functional, again has a flat wooden ceiling. [5] The medieval part of the building was heritage listed in 1987. [6]
In the second half of the 19th century, Jacob Kornerup discovered traces of frescos from the 13th century, recording them as watercolours. [3] The church had originally been richly decorated with wall paintings but only a few traces now remain on the rear wall. [7]
The church's furnishings were removed in 1808 when the church was used to accommodate Spanish soldiers. Only the Romanesque granite font remains. It can now be seen to the east of the building. [3]
Roskilde is a city 30 km (19 mi) west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 52,974, the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative council of Roskilde Municipality.
Svaneke is a small town on the eastern coast of the Baltic island of Bornholm, Denmark. It lies mainly in Svaneke parish and partly in Ibsker parish.
Jungshoved Church is a Danish romanesque church in Vordingborg Municipality, on the southern end of the island of Zealand.
Church frescos or church wall paintings are to be found in some 600 churches across Denmark, no doubt representing the highest concentration of surviving church murals anywhere in the world. Most of them date back to the Middle Ages and were uncovered by Jacob Kornerup (1825–1913) who carried out restoration work in 80 churches across the country towards the end of the 19th century. They lay hidden for centuries as after the reformation, they were covered with limewash only to be revealed and restored during the course of the 19th and 20th centuries. In most of Europe medieval frescos, extremely common in the Middle Ages, were more likely to be removed completely during the Reformation or in subsequent rebuildings, or merely as they aged. The oldest frescos, dating back to the 12th century, were painted in the Romanesque style by artists from elsewhere in Europe but those from the 14th century and thereafter are in the Gothic style which was used by native Danish painters. It is these that are considered to be the most important for Danish art and culture. A distinction is to be made between these church wall paintings or kalkmalerier and the generic term "fresco" which refers to all types of painting on plastered walls or ceilings.
Elmelunde Church, famous for its frescos, is located in the village of Elmelunde, Møn, in southeastern Denmark. It stands high above the surroundings just south of the main road from Stege to the white cliffs of Møn. The impressive whitewashed building can be seen from miles around and has been used as a landmark by sailors in the Baltic Sea.
St. Bendt's Church is a church in Ringsted, Denmark, which was originally part of a Benedictine monastery that burnt down in the 18th century. Built in the Romanesque style, it is the oldest brick church in Scandinavia, dating back to about 1170 when it replaced a travertine church from about 1080. It is considered to be one of Denmark's architecturally finest churches. Furthermore, it is of special historical interest as it is the first Royal church in Denmark and it houses the tombs of many of Denmark's earlier monarchs and noblemen.
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.
St. Clement's Church is a parish church located in the village of Klemensker on the Danish island of Bornholm. Completed in 1882 in the Historicist style, it replaces an earlier Romanesque church from the 14th century or earlier. Today the church is noteworthy for works contributed by the Bornholm artist Paul Høm. A number of runestones have been found in the neighbourhood, two of which are now in the churchyard.
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.
Aa Church, 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.
Aastrup Church, located on the top of a steep hill in the village of Aastrup, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) southwest of Stubbekøbing on the Danish island of Falster, dates from c. 1200. Built in the Late Romanesque style, it has frescos from the 13th and 15th centuries.
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.
Undløse Church is located in the village of Undløse some 17 km (11 mi) southwest of Holbæk in northern Zealand, Denmark. The original part of the Romanesque church derives from the late 12th century. The church is noted for its early 15th-century frescoes and for its elaborate Baroque altarpiece and pulpit, both woodcuts by Abel Schrøder.
Freerslev Church is located in the Danish Diocese of Roskilde, Faxe Municipality in Region Sjælland on the island of Zealand. Parts of the original Romanesque church subsist today although there have been substantial Gothic additions. Primitive 14th-century frescos have been uncovered in the arch of an old window on the north wall.
Toreby Church is the parish church of Toreby on the Danish island of Lolland. It is an unusually large red-brick Romanesque building, the nave and chancel having been extended in the Gothic period with a sacristy and lateral aisle. The tower is late Romanesque. There are frescos from c. 1400 in the sacristy. The carved pulpit (1645) is the work of Jørgen Ringnis.
Saint Olaf's Church is the cathedral church of Helsingør in the north of Zealand, Denmark. With a history going back to around 1200, the present building was completed in 1559. In 1961, the church was given the status of cathedral in connection with the establishment of the Diocese of Helsingør.
The Old Church of Our Lady is an 11th-century brick church in Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand.
Saint Jørgensbjerg Church is a historic church in Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. With a nave and chancel in travertine limestone dating from c. 1080, it is Denmark's oldest preserved stone building.
The Sankt Laurentii Church Mama Tower is all that remains of Sankt Laurentii Church in Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. The church itself was built of travertine in the Romanesque style in the 13th century but was torn down after the Reformation leaving only the tower from the beginning of the 16th century. The tower now forms part of the former town hall. It contains a museum where archaeological finds from 1998 can be seen.
Stege Church, also Sankt Hans Church, is a 13th-century brick church in Stege on the Danish island of Møn. Now in the Gothic architectural style, the church was originally a Romanesque building.
