Church of Our Lady (Aarhus)
Church of Our Lady | |
---|---|
56°09′29″N 10°12′18″E / 56.158°N 10.205°E | |
Location | Vestergade 21 8000 Aarhus |
Country | Denmark |
Denomination | Church of Denmark |
Previous denomination | Catholic Church |
History | |
Status | Church |
Architecture | |
Completed | 1060 |
Specifications | |
Materials | Brick |
Administration | |
Archdiocese | Diocese of Aarhus |
The Church of Our Lady (
History
The church was originally known as St. Nicholas' Church but was expanded by the construction of a
Between 1250 and 1500 the church was heavily expanded by the addition of, among other things, the large tower. In the 1950s a crypt-church was rediscovered beneath the church during renovations. The crypt church dates to approximately 1060 AD. The church has since been renovated again in 2000.
Crypt church
The crypt church is the oldest extant stone church in Scandinavia. Built in 1060 after the old wooden church had been burned in an assault on the town, the church is situated beneath the main building of the Church of Our Lady. After its discovery in the 1950s, it was restored and reopened on 10 November 1957 and is now used for mass once a week.
During the restoration by the Danish
The crypt church was initially built as an attempt to weaken
Around 1080, a new and larger church was built here, named after Saint Nicholas, just like numerous other Danish churches of the time. In 1180, it was mentioned as Aarhus' first cathedral, but was demolished when the Dominicans came to town.
There is no historic information about the crypt church from the following centuries. At some point the rooms were walled off and used as a storage room, until the church itself was forgotten.
Priory
The exact year for the erection of the Dominican priory is not known. Different sources point both to the years 1227 and 1239; it is generally assumed that the priory was fully established by approximately 1240.
The priory was separated from the Church of Our Lady during the Reformation, when King Christian III (1534–1559) decided that the church should function as a parish church, while the other priory buildings should be used as a hospital and poor house. In 1888 part of the former priory was converted into a chapel for the residents of the building, then as now principally the elderly.
See also
- List of Churches in Aarhus
Sources
- Zwergius, Ole, nd: Århus Vor Frue Kloster 1239-1541. ISBN 87-983814-0-7
- "Church and Priory of Our Lady". danmarkshistorien.dk. Aarhus University. 24 May 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
External links
- Church of Our Lady (in Danish)