Diernæs Church
Description
Diernæs is first mentioned in historical records in 1231, during a stable period in Danish history that allowed extensive church building. The parish’s first stone church stood about 1 km east of the present church; its ruins near Holstenshuus manor are the only exposed church ruins on Funen. According to legend, the church was demolished after a sacrilege, and it had disappeared by 1525.
The present Diernæs Church was built in the late Middle Ages in a scenic, hilly landscape overlooking the South Funen Archipelago. Like many medieval churches, it has undergone several alterations and restorations. Originally a modest fieldstone church set within an oval churchyard, traces of this early layout are still visible today.
Major restorations took place in 1868–69, when the church was cement-rendered, windows enlarged, and the tower spire raised. Another restoration in 1971–72 focused mainly on the interior. The church contains notable medieval and Renaissance furnishings, including a Baroque altarpiece from 1634, a Renaissance pulpit, a Romanesque granite font, and several important burial monuments from the 17th and 18th centuries.
Address
Mosetoften 2C, Faaborg, Denmark
Established
c. 1100