Domus Dei

Domus Dei (Hospital of Saint Nicholas and Saint John the Baptist) was an almshouse and hospice established in around 1212 A.D. at Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK by Peter des Roches (sometimes wrongly named as de Rupibus), Bishop of Winchester.

It is now also known as the Royal Garrison Church and is an English Heritage property and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

It had a regular staff of 13 consisting of a Master who held overall responsibility for 6 nuns and 6 monks.

In 1450 an unpopular advisor to the king, Bishop Adam Moleyns of Chichester was conducting a service at the chapel of Domus Dei when a number of naval seamen (resentful of being only partially paid and only provided with limited provisions) burst in to the church, dragged out the bishop and murdered him.

As a result of this the entire town of Portsmouth was placed under the Greater Excommunication, an interdict which lasted until 1508, removed at the request of Bishop Foxe of Winchester. One of the conditions for the removal of the interdict included the building of a chantry chapel next to the hospital.

In 1540, like many other chantry buildings, it was seized by King Henry VIII and until 1560 was used as an armoury. After 1560, a mansion built close by the south-side became the home of the local military governor. Throughout this time the chapel attached to the hospital remained in use. In 1662 the mansion hosted the wedding of King Charles II and Princess Catherine of Braganza.

Towards the end of the seventeenth century it fell into disrepair until it was restored in 1767 to become the Garrison church.

Once again, the Church fell into disrepair and in 1865 a new restoration project began under the direction of G. E. Street which lasted several years.

...
Wikipedia