Roskilde Cathedral represent an exceptional example of the evolution of European religious architecture. Come along for a visit of this UNESCO World Heritage site and Danish royal burial place.
Visiting Roskilde Cathedral has been a dream come true. It took me, 3 attempts, to succeed but it was so worth the wait. Let me show you why…
Roskilde Cathedral is located in the city of Roskilde on the island of Zealand, in the Eastern part of Denmark and fairly close to Copenhagen. What makes it so special? Let’s start, as usual, with some historical background…
A touch of history
Copenhagen may be the capital of Denmark now but, from the late 10th century to the mid 15th century, Roskilde was the center of power.
King Harald Bluetooth moved from Jelling to Roskilde in 960, after uniting the Danes and the Norwegians and as Roskilde enjoyed a more central position.
You can learn more about Harald Bluetooth, in this post about the Jelling stones.
Roskilde, is one of Denmark’s oldest cities as it was a hub for various sea trade routes. Harald Bluetooth, who had converted to Christianity, had a stave church built, in Roskilde. You can find an example of a stave church here. There are none left in Denmark but a few can visited in Norway and there is one in Poland.
It is said that today’s Roskilde Cathedral is built on the site of Bluetooth’s stave church. There is however a bit of an argument on this matter as historians have found no traces of the stave church or else.
The construction of Roskilde Cathedral
So in 960, Harald Bluetooth had a stave church built, in Roskilde. Then, in 1080, an opulent 3 naves stone basilica was built. There are no physical traces of those 2 churches. It is, however quite likely that the Roskilde Cathedral was built on the same spot as it was and is still a usual practice.
Around 1160, in Northern Italy, bricks firing was popular. Monks traveling from Italy imported the technic to Denmark. For the first time in the country, bricks was going to be the main material used to build a cathedral.
A quick timeline
1170: Beginning of the construction of the Roskilde Cathedral. The Cathedral was going to be in the Romanesque style. As its construction took over 100 years and style had evolved during this period, the Cathedral plans changed and French Gothic style was also adopted. Domestic style and local traditions have also influenced the construction, especially in the details.
1225: Completion of the choir. This allowed services to be held but it took 55 more years to complete the nave.
1280: completion of the cathedral (nave included)! Well, almost completed! It took a while to finish the towers, on the west facade (these were finished in 1405). Side chapels were also added during this time.
Above: view of the choir from the nave – below: view of the nave from the choir (notice the back of the altarpiece!)
1443: a fire swept through Roskilde and badly damaged the Cathedral.
1460: the Chapel of the Magi, the first Royal burial was built. This lead to a long tradition for the Royals families.
The frescoes of the Chapel of the Magi
In the 16th century, the church reformation shook Europe and Denmark was not spared. The Roskilde Cathedral suffered from the confiscation of its priced possessions and dilapidation thereafter.
In the 17th century, King Christian IV undertook major restauration of the cathedral and substantial changes. New royal funerary chapels replaced the earlier chapels.
Christian 4’s chapel and the amazing lattice by master smith Casper Fincke’s lattice
The pulpit from the early 1600s and the access to the pulpit
Up to the end of the 19th century, there were further substantial modification, like with the addition of porches and other side chapels as well as profound restoration.
The neo-classic Frederik 5’s chapel – Empire style coffins
Above: Frederik 5’s marble sarcophagus detail – Below: Christian 9 and Louise double sarcophagus – 19th century (located in Christian 9 Chapel)
With such a life, it is easy to see why the Roskilde Cathedral is considered and an exceptional example of the evolution of European religious architecture.
If you’re feeling list, remember I have mini guides to help you!
A long building process: Why did it take over 100 years to build such cathedral?
Throughout history there has been a few common culprit, which can explain the length of the construction of a specific building, including in this case, a Cathedral.
In some cases, lack of funds or lacks of construction materials could have cause delays. In other cases, failed plans or just change of plans, collapses or fires damaging the structure were the main causes. Wars, plagues or political instability often affected construction capacities and weather conditions could never be underestimated!
In most cases, a combination of issues caused delays in the construction of an edifice.
With regards to the Roskilde Cathedral, it seems that the harsh Danish winter and the lack of wood to fire the bricks were partially responsible.
The story of bricks
The construction of Roskilde Cathedral required the use of 3 million bricks, give or take a few thousands of them, I would add. A bargain compared to the 10 million used to build the Empire State Building! As noted above, building of the cathedral started right after bricks’ making was introduced in Denmark.
The main reason the use of bricks became popular, in Northern Europe, is linked to the lack of traditional building stones. From the 12th century, onward, baked red brick was a popular choice for constructions, in the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Sweden and Finland, to name a few.
And England? Yes England too but actually English love story with red bricks came a little later, in the 14th-15th century, with the Tudors. Later on, with the industrial revolution, England production of bricks increased greatly and red bricks were thereon chosen for common constructions, like industrial buildings. The choice was linked to the famous English weather: to make buildings more visible in fog and reduce traffic accidents!
However, bricks have been used in constructions for centuries and even millennia. The oldest brick constructions were found in Turkey and dates from circa 7500 BC. Others were found in Egypt, China, Mexico… We all know that the Greeks and especially the Romans used bricks extensively.
Brick craftsmanship changed significantly over such millennia. The first “brick revolution” came in 3500 BC, when fired bricks were invented! They no longer needed to be dried in the sun and instead were baked. Then came the moulding, to get evenly shaped and standard formatted bricks. Later came the industrialized production. Goodbye handmade bricks!
What are bricks made of? Clay, sand and water. The choosing of the clay is paramount.
Want to know more about the different types of bricks, shape, properties, use? Visit www.brickdirectory.co.uk It’s fascinating!
Personally, I like bricks. Especially in dull and grey winters when their warm color brings a glimmer of hope.
The visit of Roskilde Cathedral
So many details to see, so many sarcophagus which are all more beautiful than the others…
The bronze baptismal font from the early 1600s
The Tree-winged Altar piece, made in Antwerp (Belgium) around 1560, is of astonishing beauty.
Above and below: Queen Margrete I sarcophagus – 1423 (located in the Chancel
Queen Margrete I’s brother Duke Christopher, alabaster monument
Christian 5’s marble sarcophagus in the chancel
Above: Tombstones in the aisle – Below: tombstone in the ambulatory
The corridor linking the ambulatory to the chapter house (closed to the public)
So as mentioned at the beginning, visiting Roskilde Cathedral has been a dream come true for me. The first time I tried to visit, I couldn’t but I don’t remember why. The second time, there was a wedding. I sneaked in before getting kick out and I only got glimpses of how beautiful it was inside. On the 3rd attempt, I succeeded! I had checked the opening times on the official website and arrived early.
To my surprise, when the bells rang the hour, a crowd of people, ready to enter the Cathedral, suddenly appeared from nowhere. I was in shock to see so many people being interested in such monument. I was also glad, like I always am, when I see people being truly interested in historical places, not just the next spot to take a selfie.
It warms my heart. So thank you for being amongst the smart travelers!
The technical bits
The official website is www.roskildedomkirke.dk and www.visitroskilde.com for the city of Roskilde.
Do bear in mind that since the cathedral is still used, it may be closed for services, weddings, concerts… so plan your visit!
If you plan properly, please also remember to wear appropriate clothes and respect others during your visit.
Roskilde Cathedral is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, since 1995.
Roskilde is a charming town, so have a stroll before going to the Viking Ship Museum.
Of course, Roskilde Cathedral is on my Denmark Road Trip itinerary & map!
