Bessastadir / Bessastaðir in Álftanes / Alftanesi / Álftanesi

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Scene Description: one of the photographs shows tha baptismal font and the baptismal dish to the left of the altar

Image Source: digital image of content in Frjáls verslun [https://timarit.is/page/3157537#page/n37/mode/2up] [accessed 10 May 2024]

Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE – IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

view of church exterior - southwest view

Scene Description: Source caption: "Bessastaðakirkja Álftanes. Bessastaðakirkja is the church in front of the President of Iceland's official residence, Bessastaðir, in Álftanes."

Image Source: edited detail of a digital photograph 10 August 2019 by TommyBee [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bessastaðakirkja_Álftanes.jpg] [accessed 10 May 2024]

Copyright Instructions: CC-Zero

view of church exterior in context - northwest view

Scene Description: Source caption: "Bessastaðakirkja"

Image Source: digital photograph 14 July 2011 by Jon Gretarsson [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bessastaðakirkja_-_panoramio.jpg] [accessed 10 May 2024]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of church interior - looking east

Image Source: digital photograph 10 October 2023 in FERLIR [https://ferlir.is/bessastadir-bessastadakirkja-ii/] [accessed 10 May 2024]

Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE – IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

view of font and baptismal dish in context

Image Source: digital photograph 14 March 2021 in FERLIR [https://ferlir.is/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/bessastadakirkja-10.jpg] [accessed 10 May 2024]

Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE – IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

view of font in context

Scene Description: Source caption: "Bessastaðakirkja að innan. Horft úr kór kirkjunnar. Fremst er skírnarfontur."

Image Source: digital photograph 1 April 2024 in the Sarpur Menningarsögulegt gagnasafan [https://www.sarpur.is/Adfang.aspx?AdfangID=743721] [accessed 10 May 2024]

Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE – IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

INFORMATION

FontID: 25488ALF

Church/Chapel: Bessastaðakirkja á Álftanesi

Church Location: 4243+89C, 225 Alftanes, Iceland -- Tel.: +354 577 1205

Country Name: Iceland

Location: Greater Reykjavík / Stór-Reykjavík

Directions to Site: Álftanes is located off road 1416, in the Greater Reykjavík Area, SSW of Reykjavik

Font Location in Church: Inside the church, in the chancel, N side

Date: [ca. 1200?]

Century and Period: 12th - 13th century, Romanesque

Credit and Acknowledgements: We are grateful to Pol Herman for bringing this font to our attention and for his help in documenting it

Church Notes: original [wooden?] church ca. 1200, but probably as early as ca.1000; present church started 1773 consecrated 1796; completed 1823;

Font Notes: Click to view font notes

A ancient baptismal font of [soap?] stone inside the Bessastaðakirkja in Álftanesi is illustrated in the Sarpur Menningarsögulegt gagnasafan [https://www.sarpur.is/Adfang.aspx?AdfangID=743721] [accessed 10 May 2024]. The entry for this church in FERLIR (Ferðahóps rannsóknardeildar lögreglunnar í Reykjavík) [https://ferlir.is/bessastadir-bessastadakirkja-ii/] [accessed 10 May 2024] mentions the baptismal font of ca. 1200, of unknown origin but in this church for centuries; the baptismal dish of tin is dated 1702 ["Skírnarfontur af óþekktum uppruna (frá um 1200) er í kirkjunni, hefur hann e.t.v. fylgt kirkjunni um aldaraðir. Skírnarskál er úr tini frá 1702"]. The font consists of a tub-shaped basin decorated with a broad rope moulding at the upper rim, otherwise plain; on conical base that is plain except for a round moulding atop. No cover present but the font has an octagonal baptismal dish of tin [cf. supra] with two large handles at opposite ends. The ALÞINGI site [https://www.althingi.is/altext/raeda/67/3892.html?rnr=3892<hing=67] [accessed 10 May 2024] mentions that old font and a statue of Magnús Gíslason are the only remains of the old church [originally of ca. 1200 or earlier, was rebuilt in the late-18th century].

COORDINATES

Church Latitude & Longitude Decimal: 64.10588, -21.998233

Church Latitude & Longitude DMS: 64° 6′ 21.17″ N, 21° 59′ 53.64″ W

UTM: 27W 451361 7109194

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone, soapstone?

Font Shape: tub-shaped (mounted)

Basin Interior Shape: round

Basin Exterior Shape: round