Ledøje Church

Facts

Curious medieval church

The small, brick-built Ledøje Church is one of Denmark's most curious medieval buildings. The church dates from the early 13th century and is thought to have been built as a chapel on an estate which disappeared early on. The architecture is unusual because the church has two storeys. The upper storey – perhaps for the lord of the manor – offers a view over the lower storey. This style of architecture is known from Bohemia, a historic area of the modern Czech Republic, where such churches were built as castle chapels. A number of the structural components of Ledøje Church were imported from the Netherlands. In this way, the church is also a monument to an era when Denmark had become part of Europe.

Public place

Selected entry

Nonsense in the belfry

Story written by Peter Pentz

Time / Periode 1200

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Medieval church bells were often decorated with religious inscriptions, but the text on one of the bells at Ledøje appears to make no sense: xxxx nnnvnnnnn mmmmmmmmnm pppppp rrr ss gggg aaaa. The hallmark shows that the bell was made by Oluf Kegge, a bellfounder from the late Middle Ages, whose work is seen in numerous churches. No one knows if the inscription is a kind of cryptogram or if Kegge simply couldn't lay his hands on a suitable text to transcribe. The church tower from circa 1500 is a later addition to the double chapel.