Rybjerg Church

This impressive and historically rich Romanesque ashlar church was built with an apse, chancel, and nave. The tower and porch were added in the late Middle Ages, and the striking southern chapel dates from 1766. The bricked-up south portal is considered one of Denmark’s finest and is believed to be inspired by Viborg Cathedral. It features three pairs of freestanding columns with beautifully carved bases and capitals. The tympanum is adorned with the church’s patron saint, St. Nicholas of Myra, in bishop’s robes, seated in a folding chair with dragon heads and feet.

The north portal consists of two pairs of half-columns and a plain tympanum. On the corbel stone is a relief of a pregnant woman, symbolizing the church as a womb – a reference to baptism. Only one Romanesque window in the apse remains, as the others were lost during major renovations in 1876.

Inside, the church is defined by the elevated apse arch, now taller than the chancel arch – a modification made to accommodate the Renaissance altarpiece within the apse. The large opening to the chapel of Judge Mads Hastrup of Eskjær (1766–1856), now used as a transept, also shapes the space.

The Romanesque altar table has been reconstructed and is marked by wide joints between the stones. The altarpiece dates from the early 1600s, though the paintings are more recent. Several earlier paintings from the altarpiece are displayed in the church. The altar candlesticks from 1707 bear the coats of arms of Verner Parsberg and Christiane Barbara Rantzau. The pulpit is from the same period as the altarpiece. The church showcases not only high-quality Romanesque granite craftsmanship – the triumphal crucifix from the early 1300s is a remarkable example of medieval artistic skill.