Bellinge Church
Description
Bellinge Church is located in the suburb of Bellinge, about 10 km southwest of central Odense in southern Denmark. Originally a Romanesque church, it underwent major rebuilding in the late Middle Ages. A new chancel was added in the mid-15th century, the nave was rebuilt around 1470–75, and a new tower replaced most of the Romanesque one around 1490–95. Later changes included enlarged windows in the 18th century.
The interior is especially known for its late medieval wall paintings, dated 1496 and attributed to Ebbe Olesen and Simon Pedersen. Inspired by the Biblia Pauperum, the paintings were whitewashed after the Reformation, rediscovered in the 19th century, and restored several times, most notably in the late 19th and 20th centuries.
The church furnishings include a brick altar with a 16th-century wooden front, a richly carved altarpiece from the early 16th century, and a pulpit dated 1626. Among the most remarkable objects is an ornate copper and bronze processional crucifix from around 1250–75, probably of English origin, now kept at the National Museum of Denmark.
Address
Kirkelundvej 18, Odense, Denmark
Established
15th century