Thorsager Church

Rønde, Denmark

Thorsager round church is the only one of its kind in Jutland (and one of Denmark's seven medieval round churches). It was built of brick around 1200 and is one of Jutland's oldest brick buildings - perhaps the oldest. Its thick walls (1m) are an indication of the defensive role it played.

The church may lie on the site of a pre-Christian sacrificial place for the god Thor. The size of the church and its architecture suggeste that is was built by an important man - probably the king. During restoration work in 1877-78 most of the church's outer walls were replaced with new bricks. Original bricks can still be seen in the north wall of the choir. During the last restoration in 1950-52 the beautiful church interior was restored with amongst other things a new altar and pulpit. There is access to the upper floor by a staircase within the door of the church.

Address

Kirkevej 10, Rønde, Denmark

See all sites in Rønde

Details

Founded: c. 1200
Category: Religious sites in Denmark
Historical period: The First Kingdom (Denmark)

More Information

www.visitdjursland.com

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Kalø Castle Ruins (7,5 km)

Viking Museum (25,9 km)
Aarhus Old Town (26,3 km)
Aarhus Cathedral (25,8 km)
Aarhus Theatre (25,8 km)
Church of Our Lady (25,9 km)
Moesgård Museum (31,9 km)
St. Morten’s Church (29,3 km)
Marselisborg Palace (28,7 km)
Gammel Estrup Manor (12,8 km)

User Reviews

Niklas de Fries (2 years ago)
It is always exciting to see the Danish circular churches - and Thorsager Round Church is no exception. Go in and have a look and stroll around the cemetery, which is very well kept. ( .. and even the parking lot is round!)

Elisabeth Nørnberg (2 years ago)
Jutland's only round church. It's super nice and sits beautifully in the countryside, stop by if you're nearby :)

Garrett Fagnou (2 years ago)
A very special round church with a beautiful graveyard around. The acoustics are quite nice inside.

Inge Andersen (2 years ago)
Interesting round church, worth a visit

Marianne Mondrup Simonsen (2 years ago)
Really nice and cozy

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright diannlroy.com

Historic Site of the week

Jan Hus Memorial

The Jan Hus Memorial stands at one end of Old Town Square. The huge monument depicts victorious Hussite warriors and Protestants who were forced into exile 200 years after Hus, and a young mother who symbolises national rebirth. The monument was so large that the sculptor designed and built his own villa and studio where the work could be carried out. It was unveiled in 1915 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Jan Hus' martyrdom. The memorial was designed by Ladislav Šaloun and paid for solely by public donations.

Born in 1369, Hus became an influential religious thinker, philosopher, and reformer in Prague. He was a key predecessor to the Protestant movement of the sixteenth century. In his works he criticized religious moral decay of the Catholic Church. Accordingly, the Czech patriot Hus believed that mass should be given in the vernacular, or local language, rather than in Latin. He was inspired by the teachings of John Wycliffe.