Kallundborg Kirke

Fig. 40. Germigny des Prés. Frankrig. Plan. — St. Germ. d. Prés. France. Plan. fremgaa af den Kendsgerning, at den et Par Menneskealdre senere viser sig i fuld Livskraft i det lille Kapel, San Satiro, der 876 blev bygget op til sin langt større og stateligere Slægte ning — selve San Lorenzo Kirken (Fig. 41). Disse tre Bygninger —■ de eneste af denne Plans type, der har kunnet paas vises indenfor Vesteuropas kirkelige Bygningskunst i Tiden før 9ende Aarh. — er ogsaa i deres Opbygs ning ganske efter senros mersk Tradition; de er hvælvede og det bestems mende Centralrum er bes tonet af en Kuppel, der løfs ter sig højt op over Bygningens øvrige Dele. Hvorledes San Lorenzos Kuppel har været dækket, er det dog nu vanskeligt at udtale sig om efter de store Ombygninger, særlig den i 16de Aarh. Men baade San Satiro og St. Germigny des Prés har, hvad det med Henblik paa Kallundborg Kirke er af Inters esse at forstaa, markeret Kuppelen udvendig med et Centrale taarn. Det ser unægtelig ud, som Bygherrers og Arkitekters Inters esse for Plantypen er bleven mere end svækket i de følgende Aarhundreder, og at en Kirke som St. Germigny des Prés for de følgende Slægtled i Frankrig stod som en Slags Vidunders bygning 8 er et Vidnesbyrd om, hvor fremmedartet den alles rede da har virket i Vesteuropa. Ikke et eneste Mindesmærke, komponeret over denne ædle og skønne antike Plantype i dens rene Form, vides at være bleven opført i noget af Kristenheds ens Lande efter San Satiros Opførelse i Milano — før den blev lagt til Grund for Centralpartiet af Kallundborg Kirke 400 Aar senere 9. Og saameget mærkeligere er det, som Kallunds borg Kirkes Hovedparti ikke blot saa længe efter, men ovens ikøbet i en saa fjern Udkant af Europa pludselig gør Brug af dette i lange Tider ubenyttede arkitektoniske Motiv. Sammenlignet med de omtalte vesters og østerlandske Kirs ker indtager den danske Kirke dog paa væsentlige Punkter en Særstilling. Det kvadratiske Midtfag har saaledes aldrig haft Kuppel, men alle Dage en almindelig Krydshvælving i Højde med Krydshvælvingerne over de andre Fag; Centralhvælvins gen bæres af slanke Søjler som i San Satiro, medens St. Gers migny des Prés her har svære, firkantede Piller. Men Tilbøjes ligheden til at fremhæve det herskende Midtfag ogsaa i det Ydre, har den danske Kirke tilfælles med de to nævnte Kirs ker; de 4 slanke Søjler tjener her tillige som Underbygning for et svært og højt, firkantet Centraltaarn. Efter Plan og Opbygning leder Kallundborg Kirkes Centrals parti Tanken hen paa Norditalien — og ganske særlig paa Mis lano. At Kirken ved Orléans skulde have kunnet øve Indflys delse paa denne Del af den danske Kirkebygning er mindre troligt 10. Centralpartiet med Taarnet over Midtfaget er jo imidlertid kun en Del af Kallundborg Kirke. Det er de fire Korsarme this point is interesting, with Kallundborg Church in mind, — accentuated the dome on the outside by a central tower. It certainly looks as if the interest shown by builder and architect in this type greatly diminished in the following cens turies, and that a church like St. Germigny des Prés should seem nothing short of a marvel of creation 8 to the following generation in France, is but a proof of how foreign it had already become in Western Europe. As far as is known, not a single monument composed over this noble and beautiful type in its pure form was constructed anywhere in Christens dom after the building of San Satiro in Milan, until 400 years later it was used in the central section of Kallundborg Church2. Strange indeed it is that so many years later, and in so remote a corner of Europe an architectonic motive so long disregards ed should be used. Compared with the churches of the west and of the east already referred to, the Danish church assumes a position that in many respects is very unique. The square central secs tion has never been covered by a dome but by an ordinary crosswaulting of the same height as the vaulting above the other sections; the main vaulting is borne aloft by slender columns as in San Satiro, while in St. Germigny des Prés the pillars are heavy and square. In common with these two churches, however, the Danish church has a tendency to emphasize the dominating central section, also from the outs side; the four slender columns serve too as a support for a high and heavy, square central tower. In plan and construction the central section of Kallundborg Church leads our thoughts to northern Italy, especially to Mis lan, but that the churcli at Orléans has had any influence on this portion of the Danish ecclesiastical building 10 seems less probable. The central section with the tower above the middle cross* ing forms, however, only a part of Kallundborg Church. The four transepts with their appertinent towers more than any* thing else give the church its character, even though these transepts, — as has already been emphasized, — from a plan* typological point of view are subordinate to the central sec* tion. Although this central section may have had its proto* types, the motive of the transepts is rather inexplicable, and yet certain connections may also be found between the Danish church and other monuments throughout the world. The cruciform with four arms of equal length is generally known as the Greek cross. Still in architecture it might just as well be called the Latin cross, for it has had considérable vogue in the Latin world even though it has not been used as much as the so*called Latin cross with the longer fourth arm. In the world of Roman civilisation, the cross with arms of equal length, like the central section in general, was closely connected with sepulchral cult, and that type of plan con* tinues to appear in the Middle Ages (Fig. 42). During the time of the Emperor Justinian it is closely as* sociated in the East with memorial chapels, first and fore* most the mighty church of the Apostle in Constantinople—, a rival even to Hagia Sofia—with a dome above the crossing of the cruciform, and one above each of the four transepts. 32