Ramdala Kyrka
Medieval church in Ramdala
Ramdala Kyrka, the church in the village Ramdala, between Jämjö and Karlskrona, dates from the middle of the 13th century and is the only surviving medieval church in eastern Blekinge.
Ramdala Kyrka is one of the rare group of churches, where the bell tower is located on the east side of the building. In general (with few exceptions) the chancel is aligned to the east. The tower of the church in Ramdala is mounted on top of the altar area.
According to ancient lore, the church also had a western tower during the Middle Ages and the nave should have been an upper floor with a defense installations. Both have been supposedly removed in the 16th century. However, recent studies of the building disprove this. The east tower wasn't attached until the early 16th century. Traces of an additional storey or a west tower could not be found.
The motivation for the construction of an east tower can be found in the symbolism for demonstrating the special bond between religious and secular power. Church towers were always a sign of the power of kings or members of the nobility, an east tower increased this symbolism and often found near royal estates.
The inventory of the church consists of some quite magnificent items of the 17th century. This includes the baptismal font with canopy, a richly decorated altarpiece from 1624 and the pulpit with gilded carvings of 1637. The latter was a donation from the Danish King Kristian IV.
