Sunday 17 January 2021

Inspired Sunday - Allerum Church, Skåne

Going back to my holiday photos from 2019, it struck me that I probably have some church photos left that never got blogged about. (And should I happen to repeat something - well, never mind...)


Allerum Church (Allerums kyrka) is a church in Allerum, Skåne, Sweden. The tower and chancel of the church are medieval, while the rest of the church was heavily rebuilt during the 18th and 19th centuries.

 


 

As I know I've mentioned several times in other church posts in the past, votive ships are common in Scandinavian churches. They were usually given as gifts to the church by seamen as a thanks for being saved from a shipwreck.

 

10 comments:

  1. It is really lovely, and has a beautiful simplicity. I have never seen a scalloped wall like this, it is fascinating.

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  2. What a wonderful, awe inspiring post. I'm sure it's beautiful in person.

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  3. Though I think I have seen photos of this church before it is no less beautiful to look at

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  4. It is a nice reminder of summer as well as a beautiful church. And in spite of the tower and most of the rest of the building being from very different eras, it all goes together quite well.

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  5. Gotta love old churches, I like the stained glass windows.

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  6. I love this votive ship and why it is a gift, and the church to me has just the right mix of simplicity and beauty. I would worship there.

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  7. I love reading your posts. Your photos truly capture Swedish heritage and attitudes. I looked at these photos of the church and mentally compared them with churches I know. Spiritually close. Visually miles apart. Even the outsides of the buildings are very different. Yours are full of light and comfort, my places are full of shadow and shelter. The "why" is the same but the "how' is different. Thank you.

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    1. Thank you, Louise. We have quite a lot of churches in Sweden that (like this one) date back to medieval times when the churches here were still Roman Catholic. Around 1600 the national church became Lutheran. (Since 2000, state and church are officially separated, but the Church of Sweden still has something of a special position in some respects.) Anyway, this also plays its part in the changes that the old buildings have gone through over the centuries. At some points in history many churches have pretty much been stripped of decorations; then in later changes original features and colours may have been restored etc. The "spiritually close, visually miles apart" can often be felt within an old church itself when you take time to contemplate its history. People may have gathered for worship in the same spot for a thousand years, in spite of all the changes in the world since back then. That's one reason why I like visiting old churches when I have the opportunity.

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  8. At first I was struck by the simple beauty of the inside of the church but upon second glance I see there are ornate features, too. Maybe it's the white walls and height of the ceiling. Could be the stained glass windows which I always admire. Or maybe it's just that it's visually pleasing and very different from the interior of our churches here. I really like it.

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