Århus is a city on the Jutland peninsula, the second largest in Denmark. It is a cultural and economic hub of the region known as much for its music festivals as its port and status of trading hub.
One of the first buildings of interest as you walk along the canal, after the Cultural Centre, unmissable on the harbour front, is the Århus Cathedral.
Another magnificent cathedral lost in the glut of Europe’s beautiful religious buildings, the Århus Cathedral was begun in the late 12th Century although, like large projects of the time, was not completed until about 1350 and then rebuilt in the Gothic style between 1449 and 1550.
Although famous for its huge organ, built in 1730 and featuring some 6,000 pipes over a facade of 9 x 13m, this is currently under restoration to restore the sound quality which has modified over time.
Instead we take in the other riches of the interior including the Gothic style altar (above) inaugurated during the Easter celebrations of 1479. Made in Lübeck, the panels feature opening and closing treasures which are displayed at the appropriate times of year such as the Advent panels which are unveiled during the Christmas season.
Being a port city, the cathedral has St Clement as its patron saint, saint of sailors and the sea as, according to legend, he was thrown into the sea with an anchor around his neck after serving as Pope from 92 -101AD.
The cathedral also has many wonderfully decorative frescos mostly painted between 1470 and 1520. I love the chaos of the ceiling decoration against the start whiteness of the soaring Gothic vaults.
Other decorative features include five golden (wrought iron) gates separating the nave from the choir, sculptures of worldly and other worldly figures in wood, stone and marble and richly colored paintings and triptychs against the bright interior.
The golden gates are significant not just for their age (17th Century) and beauty but because they also serve as an historic reminder of the separation that occurred between the parishioners and clergy during Catholic times.
Behind some of the intricate stone carvings are some of the many tombs, burial vaults and crypts that reside here for all time. This one (below) appears particularly old and worn.
There are other churches in Århus such as the Church of Our Lady, inside of which is also the Crypt Church, and the Abbey Chuch but this one is the largest, seating up to 1200 people, one of the oldest and certainly has the best frescoes.
Would I Return?
No. There are many more wonderful churches to explore all over Europe despite this being an interesting and pretty interlude.
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