World Heritage Photos

Roskilde Cathedral – The Royal Burial Church of Danish Monarchs

Roskilde was named the capital of Denmark by King Harald Bluetooth Gormsson around 960. This legendary Viking king converted Denmark to Christianity and built a stave church in the city. Roskilde Cathedral was built in the 12th and 13th centuries on the site of this church. The choir of the cathedral was consecrated in 1225. It is said that King Harald Bluetooth was buried in one of the pillars of the choir. The altarpiece was made in Antwerp in 1560; it was famously seized by tax officials at Kronborg Castle as a penalty for underdeclared Sound Dues. Roskilde Cathedral is beautifully situated close to the scenic Roskilde Fjord.

Roskilde Cathedral was the first Gothic cathedral in Scandinavia to be built of brick. It has both Romanesque and Gothic architectural features in its design. Numerous churches in Northern Europe were modelled after this impressive red-brick building. The cathedral has been the burial place for the Danish Royal Family since the 15th century; with only one single exception, all Danish kings and queens have been laid to rest here. Their imposing tombs can be found throughout the interior and in the adjacent chapels. Many side chapels were built up to the end of the 19th century. Among them, King Christian IV's chapel stands out as the most impressive.

Roskilde Cathedral and the monuments at Jelling are considered the most important national and historic landmarks in Denmark. Several other World Heritage Sites are located not far from Roskilde: Jægersborg Dyrehave about 45 kilometres to the northeast; Stevns Klint about 50 kilometres to the southeast, and Kronborg Castle about 70 kilometres to the northeast. Roskilde Cathedral was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

www.werelderfgoedfotos.nl   © Copyright   World Heritage Photos

➔

➔

1. 

   The twin towers of Roskilde Cathedral dominate the skyline of Roskilde. Next to the spires, the round dome of Frederick V's chapel can be seen, one of the most important monuments of Neoclassicism in Denmark. The cathedral was built near Roskilde Fjord in the 12th and 13th centuries, on the location of an earlier wooden church. Over the centuries, many alterations and expansions were carried out. It was the first cathedral in Scandinavia to be built entirely of brick. Roskilde Cathedral was declared a UNESCO World Heritage in 1995.

2. 

   The King's Door is situated in the west façade of Roskilde Cathedral. The outside of this bronze masterpiece depicts the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ alongside their symbols. This entrance replaced an 1872 oak door in 2010. The monumental portal serves a highly symbolic purpose; it is opened only for exiting after weddings, confirmations, and funerals, or to welcome royalty. Beyond its architectural details, Roskilde Cathedral is celebrated for encouraging the spread of the Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe.

3. 

   Inside Roskilde Cathedral, the eye is immediately drawn to the golden reflection of the King's Door. The reflection interacts with the golden altarpiece opposite the bronze door; this striking appearance was achieved by using polished bronze that has been patinated. Because the inside of the portal stands 1.5 metres higher than the outside, a semicircular tympanum was placed above the entrance. This panel is adorned with a wheat field, where the many ears of wheat refer to the bread broken by Jesus Christ.

4. 

   The Romanesque features of the Roskilde Cathedral. The massive round red-brick arches and deeply recessed windows clearly show the transition from the Romanesque to the Gothic style. King Harald 'Bluetooth' Gormsson made Roskilde the capital of Denmark around 960 AD, after he converted the country to Christianity. The present brick church was built during the 12th and 13th centuries. It stands on the exact site of an earlier wooden stave church that was founded by King Harald himself.

5. 

   The monumental nave of Roskilde Cathedral features high, pointed Gothic vaults and a central aisle flanked by rows of wooden pews. The construction of the present building started around 1170; the choir was completed and consecrated in 1225. The Gothic cathedral was finished in 1280, but it initially had only one tower; the second tower was completed around 1400. In the 16th century, Renaissance elements were added, and the present spires were erected around 1635. The ornate pulpit, created from costly materials like alabaster and black marble, was a gift from King Christian IV in 1610.

6. 

   The breathtaking gilded altarpiece of Roskilde Cathedral was crafted in Antwerp around 1560. This masterpiece consists of 21 gilded panels decorated with scenes from the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Although originally created for a church in Danzig, it was seized by Danish customs in 1560 while passing through the Sound (Øresund) into the Baltic Sea. In an attempt to evade the unreasonably high toll, the transport ship had underdeclared the cargo's value, leading to the immediate confiscation of the altar by tax officials.

7. 

   The elaborately decorated tomb of Queen Margrethe I of Denmark is situated behind the High Altar in Roskilde Cathedral. The monument is topped by a lifelike sculpture of the queen. This tomb was crafted from dark marble and white alabaster by sculptor Johannes Junge in 1423 and is considered a true masterpiece of medieval Scandinavian art. Queen Margrethe I (1353–1412) is regarded one of the most powerful monarchs of Scandinavia; she unified Sweden, Norway and Denmark by the Union of Kalmar in 1397, which lasted until Sweden became independent in 1523. Roskilde Cathedral became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

8. 

   King Christian IV's Chapel is one of the most impressive chapels in Roskilde Cathedral. The king ordered the construction of a chapel in the cathedral following the death of his wife Queen Anne Catherine in 1612. The exterior of the chapel was built in red bricks with a crow-stepped gable between 1614 and 1641. Upon the death of Christian IV in 1648, the interior of the chapel was not yet finished. The chapel was not completed until more than two centuries later, when the walls featuring the enormous, heroic paintings were finished in 1870. One of the best-known panels depicts the king as a brave military commander during the Battle of Kolberger Heide, where he continued to fight despite losing an eye.

9. 

   The Christian IV Chapel is separated from the nave of Roskilde Cathedral by a wrought-iron screen. This masterpiece of metalwork was crafted by the court blacksmith Caspar Fincke in 1619 and is considered one of the most renowned Baroque ironwork screens in Europe. The ironwork incorporates the gilded monograms of King Christian IV and his first wife, Queen Anna Catherine of Brandenburg. The chapel now houses five tombs, including those of King Christian IV and his first wife, and King Frederik III and his wife Sophie Amalia of Brunswick-Lüneburg. The exterior of the chapel was constructed in the Dutch Renaissance style.

10. 

    The Chapel of St. Andrew (Sankt Andreas Kapel) is one of the few remaining originally medieval chapels on the north side of Roskilde Cathedral; it was built in 1396 during the reign of Queen Margrethe I. A fresco painted in 1511 on the wall depicts the apostle Andrew, the Virgin Mary holding the Infant Jesus in her arms, while the left side features a depiction of the beheading of John the Baptist. In later centuries, the frescoes were covered with a layer of thick whitewash and were rediscovered in 1862 following restoration work. Roskilde Cathedral is one of the most important national monuments of Denmark.

11. 

    The magnificent tomb of King Christian V is not located in a separate side chapel but directly in the high choir, within the central apse at the far eastern end of Roskilde Cathedral, the most sacred part of the building. The monumental tomb stands on a semicircular gallery, alongside those of his wife, their son Frederick IV, and the latter's wife. Crafted from costle white Carrara marble, these royal tombs are surrounded by the cathedral's red-brick arches. Legend has it that King Harald 'Bluetooth' Gormsson was buried in one of the pillars of the choir.

12. 

    The magnificent frescoes adorning the vaults of the Helligtrekongers Kapel (Chapel of the Holy Three Kings) of Roskilde Cathedral, often referred to as the Chapel of King Christian I, form the most important and complete collection of medieval frescoes in all of Denmark. The dark brown granite pillar on the right, rising up to the vaults, is the famous Kongesøjlen. This King's Pillar carries a row of markings indicating the height of royal visitors, including that of Tsar Peter the Great of Russia (208.4 cm), the tallest king of Denmark, Christian I (199.5 cm), and the shortest Danish king, Christian VII (164.1 cm).

13. 

    The Arch of Absalon was built in the 13th century and is one of the oldest surviving structures in Roskilde. Travertine stones from an older Romanesque church were reused to build this Gothic arched gateway. The medieval arch connects Roskilde Cathedral with the Bishop's Mansion. This roofed passageway was traditionally reserved for the Danish clergy. The arch was named after Bishop Absalon of Roskilde (1128–1201), who was also an important politician and the closest adviser to King Valdemar I of Denmark.

14. 

    The square twin towers of Roskilde Cathedral. Roskilde is Denmark's ancient royal city. The Gothic cathedral is located on the Danish island of Zealand and has been the main burial place for the members of the Danish Royal Family since the 15th century. With only one exception, all the Danish kings and queens have been buried here. For this purpose, many side chapels were built up to the end of the 19th century. The tombs of the royal family can be found throughout the cathedral and its chapels. Roskilde Cathedral was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995.