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Founded: 1494-1520Category: Religious sites in Denmark
Historical period: Kalmar Union (Denmark)
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St. Morten's church is the only of the five Middle Age churches in Randers that remain today. It was built around 1494-1520 as a replacement for the earlier Middle Age church by the same name. It is dedicated to St. Martin of Tours. The church was handed over to Helligåndsbrødrenes Kloster (the Monastery of the Brothers of the Holy Spirit) whose abbot Jens Mathiasen was builder of the existing church. It made up a wing of Helligåndklostret (the Monestary of the Holy Spirit) of which the neighbouring Helligåndshus (House of the Holy Spirit) is also a remnant.
The church is built of medieval large bricks in late Gothic style. Ever since 1534, the church has been a parish church. However, the tower with its characteristic onion steeple was not built until 1795-97. Around the church was the cemetary which was abolished in 1812 and ever since, it has been a market place.
The façade is a beautiful Baroque work from 1751. In 2004 Per Kirkeby's modern alter tableau illustrating Good Friday in Gethsemane Garden was unveiled.
References:The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.
The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.
The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.
The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.