Rødding Church

Rødding Church has undergone many changes over the centuries. The nave and chancel were built in Romanesque times using granite ashlar, though the walls also contain sections of brick. The porch and tower were added in the late Middle Ages, and in 1769 the tower was raised and topped with a spire. Originally covered with wooden shingles, the spire was destroyed by lightning in 1960. During reconstruction, it was covered with aluminum plates.

The large annex on the south side of the nave was built as a burial chapel for the Below family, who owned Spøttrup from 1577 to 1650. In 1866, burials were moved to the churchyard. The barrel vaults of the chancel and nave date from the Renaissance, while the tower’s star vault is Late Gothic. A carved bishop figure from the early 1300s adds to the church’s medieval charm.

In the chancel is a medieval altar slab with a relic compartment, though it does not come from the church’s original high altar, which is now housed at the National Museum. Two magnificent brass candlesticks on the altar bear the coats of arms of Henrik Below and his wife – the first private owners of Spøttrup. Their arms also appear on the pulpit.

The current altarpiece dates from 1889, while an earlier one from the 1500s with a 1700s painting is displayed in the church. Beneath the altar once lay a crypt used for burying deceased priests. During a crowded service in the 1800s, the chancel floor collapsed, and the congregation fell into the crypt among the departed pastors. After this dramatic event, the crypt was filled with gravel and the priests were reburied in the churchyard – so today, one can approach the altar in Rødding Church without fear.