Arrie Church ( sv, Arrie kyrka) is a church in ,

Vellinge Municipality Vellinge Municipality (''Vellinge kommun'') is a municipality in Skåne County in southern Sweden. Its seat is located in Vellinge. The present municipality is a result of the latest local government reform in Sweden. In 1974 the municipalities o ...

, in the Swedish province Skåne (Scania). A medieval church on the same spot was demolished in 1899 and the currently visible church inaugurated in 1890. It is a Neo-Gothic church, designed by architect Salomon Sörensen. Arrie Church houses a 15th-century wooden sculpture probably made in the Low Countries.

History

The first church in Arrie was built c. 1200 and consisted of a

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

and an

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

. During the 14th century, a tower was added. The church underwent further changes during the 18th and 19th centuries. At the end of the 19th century it was however decided that the old church should be demolished and a new one be built, despite objections from the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities. In 1889 everything except the lower part of the tower was torn down, and in 1890 the new church was inaugurated. Already in 1912 it had to be repaired.

Architecture and furnishings

The current church was designed by architect in a Neo-Gothic style. It consists of a western tower, a nave and a choir without an apse. Inside, the church ceiling is supported by vaults. The exterior is richly articulated with i.a.

crow-stepped gable A stepped gable, crow-stepped gable, or corbie step is a stairstep type of design at the top of the triangular gable-end of a building. The top of the parapet wall projects above the roofline and the top of the brick or stone wall is stacked in ...

s, mouldings and

blind arch A blind arch is an arch found in the wall of a building that has been infilled with solid construction and so cannot serve as a passageway, door or window.''A Dictionary of Architecture''; Fleming, John; Honour, Hugh & Pevsner, Nikolaus (1966) T ...

es. The pulpit was transferred from the old church and dates from the late 16th century; it is made of oak and decorated with carved images of Paul the Apostle and the Four Evangelists. The altarpiece consists of a wooden

pietà The Pietà (; meaning " pity", "compassion") is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus after his body was removed from the cross. It is most often found in sculpture. The Pietà is a specific form ...

, originally part of a larger altarpiece. It dates from the last quarter of the 15th century and was probably made in the

Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...

. It displays similarities with the

triumphal cross A rood or rood cross, sometimes known as a triumphal cross, is a cross or crucifix, especially the large crucifix set above the entrance to the chancel of a medieval church. Alternatively, it is a large sculpture or painting of the crucifixion ...

of Barsebäck Church, somewhat further north, and has been described as being a piece of art of high artistic quality. The baptismal font also comes from the earlier church; it is made of wood and dates from the 16th century. The church has two

church bell A church bell in Christian architecture is a bell which is rung in a church for a variety of religious purposes, and can be heard outside the building. Traditionally they are used to call worshippers to the church for a communal service, and to ...

s, of these one is from 1594 and the other manufactured in 1899.

References

External links

*
Official site (in Swedish)
{{Churches in Scania Churches in Skåne County Churches in the Diocese of Lund