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Architecture
The Church Of Our Lady is a magnificent building. It is a long church with apse and ambulatory in east and a single tower in west. The building measures 83 m in length and 33 m in width. The interior of the nave is 60 m long and over 25 m from floor to ceiling. With all galleries open, the church can seat more than 1100 people. The tower is 60 m high and houses the four church bells.
Coming from the dark entrance hall into the interior of the cathedral you immediately become captivated by the sculptor Bertel Thordvalsen’s statues of the twelve Apostles. To the right of the entrance door is the statue of Simon, the Zealot with a broad saw, his symbol of martyrdom. “Zealot” is an Aramaic word meaning “the zealous one”. Thorvaldsen made the individual symbols of martyrdom from an integral part of several of the statues. The word “martyr” is a Greek word signifying “witness”.
Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844)
Was a Danish sculptor who was accepted at the Royal Danish Academy of Art at the age of 11. At the academy he received many honors and medals and became a national hero throughout his career.
In 1819 Thorvaldsen was asked by Frederik IV to decorate the the interior in Church of Our Lady. Thorvald accepted the offer. By the time of the consecration of the cathedral, Thorvaldsen had finished the Twelve Apostles, Figure of Christ and the Baptimal Angel.
The Figure of Christ is made of carrara marble and placed on the alter. It is portraying Christ with arms spread downwards showing him as a friend of publicans and sinners.
The Baptimal Angel is also made of carrara marble and placed in front of the alter. It is portrayed as a kneeling angel with a baptismal font in shape of a seashell. A symbol of the hiding place of a pearl reminding us of that baptism is the pearl God let us find through baptism.
The Twelve Apostle are cast in plast and immediately seen when entering the cathedral. Six apostle on each side leading down to the alter.
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Church of our lady
The church of our lady has been rebuild many times but the first time it were build in the early 13th century, on the top of the hightest point in the city. The first time the church was build it was set on Nørregade in the hearth of copenhagen the first time the church was mention was in 1185 in a dokument by Absalon that pays for the building and its decoration.
In 1314 burns the church down, the damage was so bad that it was decided to build a hole new one. This time the materials that it was build of was change to something more Morden. Ateran Copenhagen got the status as capital of Denmark by Erik of Pommern. As the city grow in size the church status was change to the dominant church of Denmark.
In 1363 a royal wedding between Margrete Atterdag and the Norwegian king Håkon 6th was hold in this church.
In 1445 queen Dorothea of Brandenbrug got after the wedding ceremony to be the first to be crowned in the church of our lady, she even got to experience it twice 4 years later when she got devoted to christian the first in the same church 1449.
Under Copenhagen Fire 20 October 1728 the church burned down to the grund again.
The new church was finish building in 1738, the new church had a tower spire that was 120 meters high and was the highest version build. But all so the one with the shorter living time when the spire was hit by the english bumming in 1807 and cause in the church to burn down. The church was once again rebuild and thats the version vi got today. It was build with the old once in mind but still moden.
It was build by C.F. Hasen in the lead. As much as possible from the old church was used in the new one. the church was reopened in 1829. The new decorations was made by Thorvaldsens Kristus and the 12 Apostle.
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