Markuskirche (Equord)
The Evangelical St. Mark's Church in Hohenhameln - Equord is an outstanding example of Italian baroque architecture in the middle of Lower Saxony . Because of its special architecture it is also called "Little St. Peter's Basilica".
construction
The church is a central building on the plan of a short-armed Greek cross . The corners of the east-facing chancel are bevelled octagonally . The portal front in the west is highlighted by a round gable with a bell tower. In addition, the yellowish plastered wall surfaces on this side are particularly richly structured with dark pilasters and architraves , and there are expressive statues of the four evangelists on the roof corners .
The dome with a lantern rises up to a height of 30 m above the cross structure . The drum is octagonal and its corners are continued in the copper-clad, slightly flattened roof vault and on the lantern.
The light, only white and light pink interior with sparse gold decorations is round. At the top it opens up to the dome, on the sides between two pairs of pilasters with richly stuccoed capitals on the cross arms.
Inside and outside there are numerous grave slabs of the von Saldern and Hammerstein families on the walls .
The pulpit bears the year 1710. The altar retable is a mannerist work of the 16th century with copies of Italian paintings of the Nativity, Baptism, Last Supper and, in the center, the Resurrection of Christ. In 1960 the church received the current organ .
history
The Equorder Church was built at the behest of Baron Georg Christoph von Hammerstein zu Equord (1624–1687). He had come to know and love Italy on extensive travels and wanted a mausoleum in the form of an Italian church as a family burial place . The plans may have come from Lorenzo Bedogni . After completion in 1710, the building became a family and estate church at the same time. The ecclesiastical responsibility lay with the Mehrum rectory .
In 1929 the Equorder Church passed from the family property into the ownership of the parish and had to be saved from deterioration through a first thorough renovation. Others followed in 1952–55 and from 1996.
The church was given the name of the evangelist Markus when it was re-consecrated by Regional Bishop Hanns Lilje on October 2nd, 1955. Today it is often used for concerts because of its beauty and excellent acoustics.
View between two cross arms to the dome 
Altar and pulpit 
Look into the dome 
Double capital
Web links
Coordinates: 52 ° 17 ′ 33.8 " N , 10 ° 6 ′ 54.3" E