St. Clare's Priory, Copenhagen

St. Clare's Priory in

Order of Poor Clares, which lasted from 1497 to 1536. The monastic buildings then came into use as a mint, which after its decommissioning became known as the Old Mint, giving rise to the present day street name Gammel Mønt

at the site.

History

The Poor Clares first arrived in Denmark in 1249. An important monastery was established at Roskilde, the capital of Denmark at the time.

In 1497 King

priest

to stay.

Dissolution

The monastery prospered in the early years, but as the

Christian II, describing a chest which the abbess of the monastery had given him to distribute to the Poor Clares in Odense

, who were suffering dire poverty. The abbess had asked him to convey the money in secret because she was afraid if the amount became known the Order would be held up to scorn and ridicule. He encouraged Christian II to return to Denmark to take in hand the care of the Poor Clares who had been his mother's 'particular and elect' daughters.

The city fathers passed a law that forbade the nuns or their agents from collecting food or alms on the street which quickly impoverished the monastery. By January 1532 conditions had grown so bad that the 'nursing sisters' and the 'provisioner sisters' had abandoned the monastery. The Franciscan friars had been expelled from their

friary

, leaving the nuns with virtually no way to sustain themselves spiritually or temporally.

A few of the friars were permitted to gather alms for the Poor Clares, but they could not solicit alms any closer than 40 miles from the city. The transport of large quantities of food back to

Rule

and accept cash money for their sustenance.

Denmark officially became Lutheran in October 1536 with the adoption of the

Crown property

. The monastery was closed and the nuns either went to other locations or left the Order.

Much of the monastery was converted into shops and residences for the poor. The largest building began to be used as the Royal Mint in 1541. Several city fires, the worst in 1728, destroyed the complex and no remnants exist of the monastery today.

References

^ "Klareboderne" (in Danish). Selskabet for Københavns Historie. Archived from the original on 2014-10-16. Retrieved 2011-09-29.

Sources

Nielsen, Dr. Oluf, 1877: Kjøbenhavn i Middelalderen. Copenhagen: G. E. C. Gads Forlag; text available online at Kjøbenhavn i Middelalderen (kap. XVI: Klostre og Hospitaler) (in Danish)

55°40′55″N 12°34′48″E / 55.682°N 12.580°E / 55.682; 12.580

[1] "Klareboderne" (in Danish). Selskabet for Københavns Historie. Archived from the original on 2014-10-16. Retrieved 2011-09-29.