Skibby Church

Facts

The church that hid a secret

Skibby Church is a large Romanesque church from the 1100s. It is built from limestone, and consists of a nave, chancel and apse, along with a vaulted ceiling added in the Middle Ages. Due to the great width of the nave, the ceiling vaults were reinforced with five buttresses. In 1855, the Romanesque frescoes in the apse were plastered over. These original frescoes representing Christ Enthroned were the first Romanesque frescoes to undergo restoration in Denmark. In the chancel, the vaulted ceiling is adorned with frescoes from circa 1350. One scene depicts three joyful, living kings, hunting with falcons and dogs who meet three dead kings – a grave reminder of mortality.

Public place

Selected entry

The secret history of Denmark

Story written by Peter Pentz

Time / Periode 1100 1200

1 comment 0 recommendations

The medieval abbeys housed many learned men, whose ambitions reached beyond their monk's cells. One such man was Poul Helgesen. In 1519, Helgesen became superintendent of a newly established Carmelite priory in Copenhagen. This was an attempt to influence the conservative Catholic university and pave the way for Reform Catholicism. The so-called Skibby Chronicle is Helgesen's own history of Denmark. The name derives from a comment in the margin of the manuscript itself: This manuscript was found in Zealand in Skibby church wall behind the alter walled up along with numerous other letters...when the wall was tapped it was revealed to be hollow. Anno 1650". The Skibby Chronicle is critical of the King, Luther and the Catholic church alike, which perhaps explains why it was hidden away. Why it was hidden in Skibby of all places remains a mystery. "