Vitved church / Vitved kirke, Hjelmslev herred, Skanderborg amt.

Vitved church, ab. 8 km east of Skanderborg
Vitved sogn, Hjelmslev herred, Skanderborg amt.



The small white-washed church, which is situated upon a hill in the eastern edge of the village, has a Romanesque choir and nave, a late Gothic extension with a a ridge turret from ab. 1700 and a late Gothic porch to the south. The Romanesque sections are built in granite ashlars. From original details are only the south door of the nave, which has some strange ornamented ashlars. The thympanum is decorated with a crucifixion-picture in high relief; it is now above the door of the porch. Upon the church yard is a monolite coverstone from a Romanesque window. In the southwestern corner of the extension is walled-in an corner ashlar with animal-reliefs and a long ashlar with plant-windings, which probably originally was a kragbånd in the choir arch. The choir arch has now a pointed arch from the late Middle Ages, made in connection to the building of a cross vault in the choir. Two hiding-niches in the choir are probably secondary. The nave has a beamed ceiling. The western extension - which is more narrow than the nave and probably once supported a tower - is built in monk bricks and granite boulder. The bottom room with an octagonal cross vault is connected to the nave with a round arched arcade. The small ridge turred is half-timbered. The porch is built in monk bricks. The church has now neo-Romanesque windows.



plant-windings, probably once a kragbånd in the choir.

A new communion table panel. A simple altar piece in rural Baroque from the late 1700s with modern decoration and a Christ-picture 1950. Altar chalice 1600. Ore-cast altar candelabres in late Gothic type ab. 1500. A Romanesque granite font with lion reliefs upon the basin and a strange low foot-plate. A brass baptismal bowl given to the church by Peter Trøner 1715, but with old coat of arms and initials for Hans Axelsen Arenfeldt of Palsgård and Rugård and his wife Anne Marsvin, connected to this the year 1599. Pulpit in Renaissance from 1639, according to inscription given by Povel Sørfrensen. At the door a cast money block from ab. 1850. Bell 1851. In the porch walled-in a portrait stone for Peder Eskelsen (+ 1701) and wife Helle Andersdatter (+ 1707).


Vitved Church, ashlars with animal reliefs.

Erik Menved owned in 1299 1/6 of Vitved.

Names in the Middle Ages: Vitved (* 1283 Wittuidt); Fastrup (* 1316 Farstrup).

Listed prehistorics: The hill Ørnekol near the south border, no knowledge about other hills in the parish.

Source: Trap Danmark, Skanderborg amt, 1964.


photo Vitved kirke 2004: grethe bachmann