A round church is a church construction with a completely circular plan. There are many

Nordic round churches Nordic round churches are a type of round church found in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Function and architectural precedents According to the usual interpretation, Nordic round churches were designed with defence in mind. Aside from their reli ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

and

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

(notably the island of

Bornholm Bornholm () is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of the rest of Denmark, south of Sweden, northeast of Germany and north of Poland. Strategically located, Bornholm has been fought over for centuries. It has usually been ruled by ...

); round churches were popular in Scandinavia in the 11th and early 12th centuries. Round churches should not be confused with the older types of

round-tower church Round-tower churches are a type of church found mainly in England, mostly in East Anglia; of about 185 surviving examples in the country, 124 are in Norfolk, 38 in Suffolk, six in Essex, three in Sussex and two each in Cambridgeshire and Berkshi ...

constructions. Churches with many-sided

polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two toge ...

al shapes (such as the 16-sided example in Richmond, Vermont, USA) are likewise colloquially referred to as 'round'.

Round churches by country

Armenia

Zvartnots Cathedral Zvartnots Cathedral ( hy, Զուարթնոց ( classical); ( reformed), sometimes rendered in scholarly works as Zuart'nots' or Zuart'noc' ; literally 'celestial angels cathedral') is a medieval Armenian cathedral near Vagharshapat (Ejmiatsin) ...

Vagharshapat Vagharshapat ( hy, Վաղարշապատ ) is the 4th-largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province, located about west of the capital Yerevan, and north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border. It is comm ...

(Etchmiadzin), often cited as the world's largest round church during its existence in the Middle Ages

Bosnia

Church of the Holy Transfiguration in

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...

Brazil

Cathedral of Brasília The Cathedral of Brasília (Portuguese: ''Catedral Metropolitana de Brasília'', "Metropolitan Cathedral of Brasília") is the Roman Catholic cathedral serving Brasília, Brazil, and serves as the seat of the Archdiocese of Brasília. It was des ...

Bulgaria

Round Church, Preslav The Round Church ( bg, Кръгла църква, ''Kragla tsarkva''), also known as the Golden Church (Златна църква, ''Zlatna tsarkva'') or the Church of St John (църква "Свети Йоан", ''tsarkva "Sveti Yoan"''), is a l ...

Canada

Our Lady of Victory Church,

Inuvik Inuvik (''place of man'') is the only town in the Inuvik Region, and the third largest community in Canada's Northwest Territories. Located in what is sometimes called the Beaufort Delta Region, it serves as its administrative and service cen ...

; St. Jude's Cathedral,

Iqaluit Iqaluit ( ; , ; ) is the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, its largest community, and its only city. It was known as Frobisher Bay from 1942 to 1987, after the large bay on the coast on which the city is situated. In 1987, its t ...

; Saint George's Round Church, Halifax

Croatia

Church of Saint Vitus in

Rijeka Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...

Denmark

Nyker Church,

Nylars Church Nylars Church ( da, Nylars Kirke) is a 12th-century round church in the village of Nylars near Rønne in the south of the Danish island of Bornholm. Originally designed for a defensive role, the solid structure contains a series of 13th-century f ...

, Saint Ols Church and

Østerlars Church Østerlars Church (''Østerlars kirke'') is a historic building located just north of the village of Østerlars, south of Gudhjem on the island of Bornholm, Denmark. It is the largest and, possibly, the oldest of the island's four round churches ...

; Bjernede Church,

Zealand Zealand ( da, Sjælland ) at 7,031 km2 is the largest and most populous island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 January 2020. It is the 1 ...

;

Horne Church Horne Church ( da, Horne Kirke) was established in the Late Middle Ages on the southwest part of the island of Funen, Denmark. This church, founded as a Catholic place of worship, is situated in the village of Horne. The church no longer serves ...

Funen Funen ( da, Fyn, ), with an area of , is the third-largest island of Denmark, after Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy. It is the 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 469,947 as of ...

(with later gothic extensions), and Thorsager Church,

Jutland Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...

France

Medieval churches of Saint-Bonnet-la-Rivière and

Neuvy-Saint-Sépulchre Neuvy-Saint-Sépulchre () is a Communes of France, commune in the Indre Departments of France, department in central France. History The town takes its name from its basilica which is a replica of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. T ...

, Baroque churches as Chapelle de l'Oratoire,

Avignon Avignon (, ; ; oc, Avinhon, label=Provençal dialect, Provençal or , ; la, Avenio) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region of So ...

and Vieille Charité church, Marseille.

Germany

Aachen Cathedral Aachen Cathedral (german: Aachener Dom) is a Roman Catholic church in Aachen, Germany and the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Aachen. One of the oldest cathedrals in Europe, it was constructed by order of Emperor Charlemagne, who was buri ...

. Liebfrauenkirche in Trier. St. Ludwig in

Darmstadt Darmstadt () is a city in the States of Germany, state of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Area, Rhine-Main-Area (Frankfurt Metropolitan Region). Darmstadt has around 160,000 inhabitants, making it th ...

Hessen Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major historic cities are Darm ...

. There is also a round church in Untersuhl,

Thuringia Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million. Erfurt is the capital and larg ...

Hungary

Saint Anne Church in

Kallósd Kallósd is a village in Zala County, Hungary. The famous church of the settlement, the Saint Anne Church in Kallósd, is being one of the few round churches from the Árpád Age, and it listed among the most significant monuments of Hungary ...

, Roman Catholic Church in

Kiszombor Kiszombor is a more than 800 years old village in Csongrád County, in the Southern Great Plain region of southern Hungary. Geography It covers an area of and has a population of 3795 people (2015). It is an agricultural village, near the Maros ...

, Rotunda in

Öskü Öskü () is a village in Veszprém (county), Veszprém county, Hungary. Sightseeings The Rotunda (architecture), rotunda stands in the centre of the village on the top of the hill. The apse is oriented to the east. The rotunda of Öskü is a si ...

, St.

Jacob Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. J ...

rotunda in

Ják Ják is a village in Vas County, on the western boundary of Hungary. Church of Saint George The parish church of Ják is the most complete Romanesque Church in Hungary. It was originally built as the church of a Benedictine monastery. The vi ...

, Neoclassical church in Balatonfüred (19th century).

Italy

Church of Saint Stephen in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

; Church of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux in

; Old Cathedral of

Brescia Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label= Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and ''comune'' in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo. ...

;

Church of Saint Lawrence Church of Saint Lawrence is a historic Episcopal church located at Alexandria Bay in Jefferson County, New York. It was built in 1889 and is a three-by-four-bay wood-frame Shingle Style structure on a massive, raised stone foundation. It is c ...

Mantua Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard language, Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, province of the same name. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture ...

;

Santo Stefano, Bologna The basilica of Santo Stefano ( it, Basilica di Santo Stefano) encompasses a complex of religious edifices in the city of Bologna, Italy. Located on Piazza Santo Stefano, it is locally known as ''Sette Chiese'' ("Seven Churches") and ''Santa Ge ...

; Church of Saint Angelo in

Perugia Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part o ...

; Church of Saint Marie in

Forlì Forlì ( , ; rgn, Furlè ; la, Forum Livii) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and city in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. It is the central city of Romagna. The city is situated along the Via E ...

Malta

Sarria Church The Church of the Immaculate Conception known also as Sarria Church is a Roman Catholic Rotunda church in Floriana, Malta. History The original chapel was built in 1585 with funds provided by the Knight Fra Martin Sarria Navarra. Following the d ...

Rotunda of Mosta The Sanctuary Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady ( mt, Santwarju Bażilika ta' Santa Marija), commonly known as the Rotunda of Mosta ( mt, Ir-Rotunda tal-Mosta) or the Mosta Dome, is a Roman Catholic parish church and Basilica in Mosta, Malta, ...

The Netherlands

Ronde Lutherse Kerk The Ronde Lutherse Kerk (''round Lutheran church'') or Koepelkerk (''cupola church'') is a former Lutheran church in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on the Singel canal. The church can be easily seen from the Singel, identified by its copper dome. Histor ...

Philippines

Padre Pio Shrine The National Shrine and Parish of Saint Padre Pio ( Filipino: ''Pambansang Dambana at Parokya ni Santo Padre Pio''), commonly known as Padre Pio Shrine, is a parish church and pilgrimage site situated along Governor Antonio Carpio Avenue (Santo To ...

Santo Tomas, Batangas Santo Tomas, officially the City of Santo Tomas ('' fil, Lungsod ng Santo Tomas''), is a 1st class component city in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 218,500 people. With the continuou ...

. *

Church of the Holy Sacrifice The Parish of the Holy Sacrifice, also known as the Church of the Holy Sacrifice, is a landmark Catholic chapel on the University of the Philippines Diliman campus. It belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cubao and its present parish prie ...

in the campus of the

University of the Philippines Diliman , image = University of The Philippines seal.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = Official Logo of UP Diliman , motto = Honor and Excellence , established = February 12, 194 ...

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...

Portugal

Monastery of Serra do Pilar The Monastery of Serra do Pilar is a former monastery located in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, on the opposite side of the Douro River from Porto. The monastery is situated on an outcrop overlooking the Dom Luís I Bridge and the historic centre of ...

, a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

Vila Nova de Gaia Vila Nova de Gaia (; cel-x-proto, Cale), or simply Gaia, is a city and a municipality in Porto District in Norte Region, Portugal. It is located south of the city of Porto on the other side of the Douro River. The city proper had a population of ...

, Portugal.

Serbia

Church of Saint Anthony of Padua at

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

; Church of Saint Basil of Ostrog in

New Belgrade New Belgrade ( sr, / , ) is a municipality of the city of Belgrade. It is a planned city, built since 1948 in a previously uninhabited area on the left bank of the Sava river, opposite old Belgrade. In recent years, it has become the central bu ...

;

Evangelical church Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exper ...

Zemun Zemun ( sr-cyrl, Земун, ; hu, Zimony) is a municipality in the city of Belgrade. Zemun was a separate town that was absorbed into Belgrade in 1934. It lies on the right bank of the Danube river, upstream from downtown Belgrade. The developme ...

Spain

*Sant Gregori Taumaturg,

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

*Iglesia San Marcos,

Salamanca Salamanca () is a city in western Spain and is the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on several rolling hills by the Tormes River. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritag ...

Sweden

* Church ruins of Agnestad,

Bromma Church Bromma kyrka is a round church in the borough Bromma in Stockholm, Sweden. The oldest parts of the church were built in the later 12th century as a fortress church, and the church is among Stockholm's oldest buildings. Today it has seven parts: ...

, Hagby Church, ,

Munsö Church Munsö Church ( sv, Munsö kyrka) is a medieval Lutheran church in the Diocese of Stockholm (Church of Sweden), Diocese of Stockholm. Its site, Munsö, is a village and formerly an island in Ekerö Municipality, Sweden. Because of post-glacial rebo ...

, Skörstorp Church,

Solna Church Solna Church ( sv, Solna kyrka) is a so-called round church in Solna Municipality near Stockholm, Sweden. It is part of Solna Parish in the Diocese of Stockholm. The church is located on the headland between Brunnsviken and Ulvsundasjön, at t ...

, , Valleberga Church, , Voxtorp Church.

United Kingdom

In England, there are four

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

round churches still in use:

Holy Sepulchre, Cambridge The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, generally known as The Round Church, is an Anglican church in the city of Cambridge, England. It is located on the corner of Round Church Street and Bridge Street. Since 1950 the church has been designated a G ...

;

Temple Church The Temple Church is a Royal peculiar church in the City of London located between Fleet Street and the River Thames, built by the Knights Templar as their English headquarters. It was consecrated on 10 February 1185 by Patriarch Heraclius of J ...

, London;

St John the Baptist Church, Little Maplestead Little Maplestead is a village and civil parish in the Braintree district of Essex, England. Amenities Little Maplestead once had a Knights Hospitaller establishment called Little Maplestead Preceptory. The round parish church, dedicated to ...

, Essex, and

The Holy Sepulchre, Northampton The Holy Sepulchre is a Norman round church in Sheep Street, Northampton, England. It is a Grade I listed building. Dating from circa 1100, it was possibly built by Simon de Senlis, Earl of Northampton. There are four medieval round churches st ...

St Chad's Church, Shrewsbury St Chad's Church occupies a prominent position in Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire. The current church building was built in 1792, and with its distinctive round shape and high tower it is a well-known landmark in the town. It faces Th ...

, is a

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

round church, and the

Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, officially known as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King and locally nicknamed "Paddy's Wigwam", is the seat of the Archbishop of Liverpool and the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of L ...

was built in the 20th century. The 18th-century

All Saints' Church, Newcastle upon Tyne All Saints' Church is a late 18th-century church in Lower Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, which replaced a medieval church on the same site. All Saints' Church is the only elliptical church building in England, the third tallest re ...

, is now part of the

Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales The Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales (EPCEW) ( cy, Eglwys Bresbyteraidd Efengylaidd yng Nghymru a Lloegr) is a reformed and conservative evangelical Presbyterian denomination in England and Wales with churches in Germany, Swit ...

. In Scotland, the medieval

Orphir Round Church The remains of the Orphir Round Church (or Round Kirk), dedicated to Saint Nicholas, are located in Orphir Parish on the Mainland of Orkney, Scotland. It has been a scheduled monument since 2014. Description It consisted of an apse on the ...

near

Houton Houton is a settlement southeast of Stromness on the island of Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. The settlement is within the parish of Orphir, and is situated on a minor road off the A964. From here, a ferry sails to Lyness on Hoy, Longhope on So ...

Mainland, Orkney The Mainland, also known as Hrossey and Pomona, is the main island of Orkney, Scotland. Both of Orkney's burghs, Kirkwall and Stromness, lie on the island, which is also the heart of Orkney's ferry and air connections. Seventy-five per cent of ...

, is in ruins.

Kilarrow Parish Church Kilarrow Church ( gd, Eaglais Cill an Rubha) is a Church of Scotland parish church, overlooking and serving Bowmore on the island of Islay. The "Round Church", as it is often known, was built in 1767. It has a highly unusual circular design, co ...

at the top of main street in

Bowmore Bowmore ( gd, Bogh Mòr, 'Big Bend') is a small town on the Scottish island of Islay. It serves as administrative capital of the island, and gives its name to the noted Bowmore distillery producing Bowmore single malt scotch whisky. History ...

is a round church, built in 1767, on the island of

Islay Islay ( ; gd, Ìle, sco, Ila) is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Known as "The Queen of the Hebrides", it lies in Argyll just south west of Jura, Scotland, Jura and around north of the Northern Irish coast. The isl ...

, on Scotland's west coast.

Gallery

File:Crkva svetog preobrazenja, Sarajevo.jpg, Church of the Holy Transfiguration,

, Bosnia File:Crkva Sv Vida Rijeka 140807.jpg, Church of Saint Vitus,

, Croatia File:Bjernede Kirke.JPG, Bjernede Church near

Sorø Sorø () is a town in Sorø municipality in Region Sjælland on the island of Zealand (''Sjælland'') in east Denmark. The population is 7,999 (2022).

, Denmark File:Thorsager rundkirke.jpg, Thorsager Church,

Thorsager Thorsager is a small town in Jutland, Denmark with a population of 1,309 (1 January 2022 census),Holy Sepulchre, Cambridge The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, generally known as The Round Church, is an Anglican church in the city of Cambridge, England. It is located on the corner of Round Church Street and Bridge Street. Since 1950 the church has been designated a G ...

, England File:Untersuhl kirche1.jpg, Untersuhl Church, Germany File:Saint Anne Church - Kallósd, Hungary - 2005.jpg, Saint Anne Church,

, Hungary File:Roundchurch.jpg, Bowmore Church, Islay, Scotland File:Samostan i crkva sv. Ante Padovanskog, Beograd.jpg, Church of St. Anthony of Padua,

, Serbia File:Cieszyn 9891 crop.JPG, The rotunda of Saint Nicolas, Cieszyn, Poland

References

* Ann Vibeke Knudsen, ''The Old Churches of Bornholm''.

Bornholm Museum Bornholm Museum is a cultural history museum located in Rønne, Denmark. The museum collects, preserves, researches, and exhibits artifacts in order to raise awareness of Bornholm's cultural heritage. History The museum's association was first ...

, Rønne, 1999. .

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Round Church