Østerlars Church 2.87

Østerlars Church is a historical building located just north of the village of Østerlars, south of Gudhjem on the Danish island of Bornholm, Denmark. It is the largest and, possibly, the oldest of the island's four round churches. Built around 1160, it was dedicated to St. Lawrence. It consists of an apse, an oval chancel, a large round nave and has three storeys. There is evidence the church was once fortified, the top storey serving as an open shooting gallery.Origin of nameThe church is dedicated to St Laurentius . The Danish equivalent, Lars, was also the church's original name in the Middle Ages but around 1600, the prefix øster- was added to avoid confusion with nearby Ny-Lars.History and architectureThe building is one of Denmark's oldest Romanesque churches. On the basis of coins dated 1157 found in the floor, the date of construction was probably around 1160. The fieldstone wall stands on foundations of Bornholm limestone. The double-arched apse bears similarities to that in Lund Cathedral. The round nave has an external diameter of 16 meters. In its centre there is a large round hollow column, six meters wide. An opening leads into a small room, known as the oven, inside the column.Originally there were small Romanesque windows but these were enlarged after the Reformation. During the 16th century, a number of buttresses were added to support the outer wall. The conical roof was replaced in the 17th century. The porch is from 1870.