St. Bodil's Church, Neksø, Denmark

St Bodil's Church (Sankt Bodil Kirke) was built around 1200. It was dedicated to the English saint Botulf but by 1530 it had mistakenly become known by the woman's name "Bodil" although there has never been a Saint Bodil. As a result, the parish is called Bodilsker. The church first belonged to the Archbishopric of Lund, then came under the Danish crown at the time of the Reformation. In the 19th century, it became fully independent.

The church consists of an apse, chancel and nave from the Romanesque period, slightly more recent west tower and a Late-Gothic porch for the south door. Foundations unearthed beside the tower indicate that it had originally been planned as a larger addition. There are two rounded arches giving access from the nave to the base of the tower. The large north transept was added in 1911. Although some local sandstone and fieldstone has been used, the predominant building material is limestone which in particular has been used for the door and window frames. The apse ceiling consists of a half-dome vault. There were only three windows in the original building, one in the apse which was restored in 1874 and one on each side of the nave. New windows have since been added. Both the Romanesque portals have been almost fully preserved. The stonework on the south door is particularly well executed.

The bell tower, first documented in 1624, is topped by a half-timbered section and originally served as an entrance portal. The main structure dates from around 1600. Minor repairs were carried out in the 18th century.

Close to the entrance, the former Romanesque font, made of Gotland limestone, is similar to those in Ny Kirke and Vestermarie Church but better proportioned. The new granite font stands to the left of the chancel arch. Above the old font is part of the former Renaissance altarpiece, a painting of Christ on the road to Emmaus by Jørgen Roed. The two candlesticks on the main altar date from the mid 16th century. The carved oak pulpit from c. 1600 has four panels depicting the evangelists and their symbols.

References:

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User Reviews

Britt Heier (2 years ago)
Would have liked to see the church inside.

Mirosław Kasperski (2 years ago)
An interesting church with an attribute on the belfry...allegedly "the devil's hat". Congratulations on attracting tourists. An interesting fact in the church itself is the nave with a play corner for children and the nave with a "feast" table.

Martin Sundahl (2 years ago)
Beautiful place and well maintained. Unfortunately, the inner circle was open for viewing.

Evelyn Strauss (3 years ago)
Whitewashed, clean and very tidy. The church shines from far away. As always on Bornholm, the grave sites are extremely clean.

Kai Becker (3 years ago)
If you come by and have the time, you should take a look at this church. In the anteroom there is a flyer that explains the individual elements in the church very well. So the visit is like a scavenger hunt. The tower is accessible - a little adventure. However, the bells are in the upstream bell tower, which cannot be entered. A tour of the very well-kept cemetery completes the visit.

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