The Marble Church

Frederik's Church was begun in 1749 as the centrepiece of the new Frederiksstaden quarter, aligned so that the dome closes the view from Amalienborg palace square. Norwegian marble proved ruinously expensive, work stopped in 1770, and the half-built shell stood as a picturesque ruin for nearly a century and a half until the financier Carl Frederik Tietgen bought the site and had it completed in cheaper Danish limestone, opening in 1894. The dome spans about thirty-one metres, one of the largest in northern Europe, resting on twelve piers, with a painted interior and a ring of statues of Danish church figures outside. In summer the dome can be climbed by a stair between the inner and outer shells, coming out on a gallery with a view over the harbour and the city.

History

Nicolai Eigtved designed the church in 1740 as part of Frederiksstaden, the district meant to mark the 300th jubilee of the first Oldenburg coronation, in a much grander form than was built, with a taller dome resting on the outer walls. King Frederick V laid the foundation stone on 31 October 1749, but work was slowed by budget cuts and by Eigtved's death in 1754; the French architect Nicolas-Henri Jardin took over from 1756 with a more classical marble design, the plans were abandoned in 1770, and the unfinished church stood as a ruin for nearly 150 years. In 1874 the ruins and the square were sold to the financier Carl Frederik Tietgen for 100,000 rigsdaler on condition that he build a church in a style close to the original plans and give it to the state, and he had Ferdinand Meldahl design it in its final form, with less marble than first planned. Its dome, 31 metres across and resting on twelve columns, is the largest church dome in Scandinavia, and statues of figures from Danish and international church history stand around the walls, with N. F. S. Grundtvig at the entrance (Wikipedia, Frederik's Church).

The main sights

• A thirty-one-metre dome - among the largest church domes in northern Europe.
• The climb between the shells - a stair to the external gallery in summer.
• The Amalienborg axis - the dome closing the view from the palace square.
• Statues of Danish church figures - a ring around the exterior.

When to go

Year round for the church; the dome climb runs daily in summer and at weekends only for much of the rest of the year. One hour. Services close the nave to visitors on Sunday mornings.

Things to know

Dome climb times are limited and tickets go on the door, so it is easy to miss. The stair is narrow and steep with no lift. The interior is impressive but plain compared with the exterior. It is a working church and can be closed for weddings.

Nearby

Amalienborg is across the square; the Designmuseum and Kastellet are a short walk.

Key facts