Kirke Sonnerup Church – a rare baptismal font
Kirke Sonnerup Church lies peacefully in the village, surrounded by open countryside and old farmsteads. Today, the church appears as a cohesive Romanesque building in tufa stone, yet its present expression is the result of both medieval grandeur and a significant restoration in the 19th century.
Kirke Sonnerup Church is set in a beautifully undulating landscape close to Vintremølle Stream, where one of Denmark’s most significant deposits of tufa stone is found. The church was built of this distinctive spring limestone, most likely quarried here. During the restoration in 1875, the church was returned to a 12th-century appearance with unwhitewashed, rough walls and today stands as a unique opportunity to experience an almost “original” tufa stone church.
Medieval architecture in tufa stone
The church was decorated by the so-called Jørlunde Master, dating the decoration to around 1150. Traces of wall paintings can still be seen above the vaults, where motifs such as the Flight into Egypt and the Adoration of the Magi are discernible. Around the year 1400, the nave was vaulted, and approximately 100 years later the church received its tower.
Nobleman’s church with fine details
Several architectural details continue above the vaults and reveal the church’s original status as a nobleman’s church. In particular, the west side of the chancel with its dwarf columns and rich mouldings demonstrates a high architectural standard. A bricked-up north window from the 12th century can still be seen and offers a rare glimpse into the church’s earliest design.
The 19th-century restoration
Around 1875, the church was in such poor condition that extensive restoration became necessary. The architect Georg Møller restored the church to a Romanesque appearance in keeping with the ideals of the time. The Gothic chancel was replaced by a new Romanesque chancel and apse in tufa stone, and both the porch and the masonry were renewed. The result is a church that today appears as it was imagined it might have looked in the Middle Ages.
Font and furnishings
The Romanesque granite font is one of the church’s most distinctive objects. It is square, carved from a single block and contemporary with the construction of the church. The pews date from approximately 1550–1700 and were crafted by various Roskilde masters, featuring rich marquetry and fine wood inlay.
Tip
After visiting Kirke Sonnerup Church, you can take a short walk along the small roads and paths around the village, where views of the undulating landscape form part of the experience. Be sure to visit the area by Vintremølle Stream, which is closely linked to the church’s history through its deposits of tufa stone.