Of all the churches we saw in Denmark, this type of white church was the one that intrigued us the most. It was also the one we saw dotted all over the landscape everywhere we went.
I didn't grow up with white churches in America,
nor do we see them here in the Netherlands.
So, those that we saw were like a magical "figment" of our imagination.
Which brings me to the most beautiful example of the outside exterior that we saw, not far from our last hotel near Borre, on Møn island in southeastern Denmark. It so happens it was also one of the most beautiful we saw on the inside: the Elmelunde Church.
It's the oldest church on Denmark's island of Møn, built in 1085.
Take your pick.
From all angles it's a beauty to behold.
It helps, of course, if you see it on a gorgeous, sunny day.
And you thought the OUTSIDE was beautiful!
This is the altar-pulpit end of the nave...
...showcasing the incredible frescoes believed to have been painted by the Elmelunde Master,
a nameless artist from the 16th century with paintings in 3 churches on Møn.
This is the view of the nave towards the organ, opposite the altar at the other end.
The frescoes were covered with several layers of limewash for centuries,
following the Reformation, when Denmark transitioned from Catholicism to Lutheranism.
It was only in 1969 that restoration was undertaken to reveal them.
don't you wonder what others, like the hieroglyphs, depict?!
The center panel depicts the Last Supper/Holy Communion,
The 1649 pulpit was a gift from the daughter and son-in-law of King Christian IV,
Leonora Christina and Corfitz Ulfeldt.
The apostle Peter is the one who holds it up.
The canopy above the pulpit is worth a closer look...
...especially against the backdrop of the wall frescoes.
So many stories and symbolism represented!
The 1646 carved altarpiece is also a gift from Leonora Christina and Corfitz Ulfeldt.
with the evangelists, Mark and John, on the sides.
This altarpiece, like the pulpit, also has a ladder at the top,
juxtaposed against the Crucifixion cross of Jesus.
Last but not least, here's the free-standing, relatively new and under-stated organ.
Rather than being unimpressed, I was glad they at least had one,
unlike the last church I posted about on Stevns Klint!
One after-thought look from the car, as we were leaving:
It wasn't just the inside that had been obviously white-washed!
Did they want us to know???
