DAY 132 – Wonderful! Wonderful Copenhagen! (Part 3)

July 29 - The Special Christus Statue

Maurizo has been a wonderful host and our stay in Copenhagen was a treat!  Today is Monday and he leaves for work early.   I was so sad not to attend church yesterday.  I was dressed early and walked to Copenhagen's Cathedral, got a little lost, and arrived a little too late and they had closed the doors as no one can go in after it has already started. Even though we have a train to catch to Stockholm at noon today, I will go visit this church before we leave Copenhagen.

               Thanks Maurizo for everything.

He fixed a typical Danish Breakfast for us -Yogurt & berries with cookie biscuits.

 On the site where Copenhagen’s Cathedral (The Church of Our Lady) is located - the area has housed several churches since 1209. The Cathedral has been rebuilt four times - after the first church from 1209 of limestone - placed on the highest spot in town - burnt down and was reconstructed in 1316 - then when the second church was razed by a great fire in 1728 together with five other churches in Copenhagen and rebuilt in 1738 - and finally during the bombardment of Copenhagen in 1807 - when the spire was hit by a Congreve rocket and nearly burnt the church down to the ground.

 After the crowning in 1536 of King Frederik III in the Cathedral - and in the same year when the reformation came to Denmark and abolished Catholicism - the church became a national church - where the mother tongue was allowed and future services was conducted after the Evangelical Lutheran order - and in Danish.

 And now for the BEST part of the Church * * *(drum roll please.) * * *

The famous Christus Statue

Thorvaldsen was commissioned to sculpt statues of Jesus and the apostles for the Church of Our Lady. The statue of Jesus was completed in 1821. The Christus was not well known outside of Denmark until 1896, when an American textbook writer wrote that the statue was "considered the most perfect statue of Christ in the world."

I have such an emotional feeling about this special sculpture.

In Salt Lake City, the background lighting is blue.

  In 1966, the statue was placed in the church's Temple Square.  The church's second Christus replica was created to be displayed in the church's pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair. The display of the replica "was intended to help visitors understand that Latter-day Saints (or Mormons) are Christians".

Looking down from the 2nd level

Sculptures of the 12 Apostles line the seats.

Upstairs is a special place where the original walls were preserved.

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Remember Toby from our Croatian Couch Sailing experience?  We were able to meet up with him and a few of his friends in a beautiful park close by.

Who is that old guy in the middle?

Partying is such sweet sorrow