Råsted church / Råsted kirke, Støvring herred,Randers amt.

Råsted church, ab. 5 km northwest of Randers
Råsted sogn, Støvring herred, Randers amt

The white-washed church has become famous in recent times for its rare late Romanesque frescoes. The Romanesque section, choir and nave are mostly built in limestone ashlars. The choir is completely in limestone with corner-lisener (Italiano: Lesena) and curved friezes; the corner liseners, curved friezes and pillar portal of the nave is also limestone, while the other walls are raw granite. Romanesque windows are preserved at the south side of the choir and the northside of the choir and nave; they are like the portal of Anglo-Norman type. The north portal is bricked-up, it is seen inside as a high niche framing a new window. In the late Middle ages was added a high porch possibly originally meant for two storeys. The tower is possibly a little younger than the porch; it has an original west-portal; it is built in monk bricks and opens in a round arch arcade to the nave. Inside is the Romanesque choir arch preserved with pretty profiled kragsten.


In 1936 were several frescoes from the late 1100s discovered, and they were restored in 1939-42. Upon the triumph wall is above a disappeared side altar Michael as dragon-killer, while a Maria-picture above the northern side alter is almost gone, above this a series of apostles and Christ in the middle; upon the walls of the choir are broad decorative meander patterns as a frame of the holy history - upon the north wall the visit of the three wise men, upon the altar wall the Slaughter of the Innocents and the Crucifixion, upon the west wall an indistinct picture of Christ in the Land of Dead. Under the choir arch the Fall of Man and the Fratricide.


Upon the limestone communion table was earlier a Renaissance altar piece (is now in Skibsted church) which in 1944 was replaced by a small late medieval crucifix from the National Museum. Baroque altar candelabres from the 1600s. A Romanesque granite font with a smooth basin, a baptismal bowl in silter-plated pewter with engraved year 1700. A simple pulpit from ab. 1700. The other inventory is newer, the bell from 1883, the two chandeliers from 1918. The church building was restored in 1938.


Råsted Church, a typical Danish church yard.

Peder Eskildsen of Kondrup is mentioned in 1319.

Jens Bugge pawned his and his mother's property in Buggesholm to Otto Spliet for 20 mark silver. In 1340 Thomas Jensen (Bugge?) and other heirs of Jens Bugge redeemed the property.

Mikkel Stake lived in 1455 in Råsted.

A sacred well, Pilgrimmenes kilde, at the country road in Råsted village still existed still in 1885, (dried out).

Råsted mølle , mentioned 1349, is possibly identical to Ringlevad mølle.

Names in the Middle Ages:
Råsted (* 1344 Rolstedt); Svejstrup * 1406 Sweystorp); Blegvadgård (* 1456 Blegwadt); Buggesholm (* 1340 Bugeholm); Hedegård (1579 Hiegaardtt).

Listed prehistorics: two hills, of which Bavnehøj south of the village is ratehr large.
Demolished or destroyed: 29 hills, among those the large Tinghøj south of Råsted and Galgehøj south of this.

photo Råsted kirke 2002: grethe bachmann