Ringsted Abbey

Ringsted Abbey was one of the earliest and most influential Benedictine houses in Denmark.

Ringsted was one of Denmark's earliest towns and in Viking times a center for worship. The town had a royal mint in 1020 and a Benedictine priory was established by Sven Estridsen before his death in 1076, but not completed until 1081 or 1082 under Bishop of Roskilde Svend Norbagge. It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The first priory church was constructed out of limestone. According to tradition the monks were brought by the king from one of his campaigns in Britain.

Ringsted Abbey owes its importance to its being the resting place of Canute Lavard. Duke Canute was murdered at Haraldsted forest just north of Ringsted in 1131.

It is unclear what happened to the original priory, but in 1135 King Erik Emune refounded Ringsted Priory with Benedictine monks from Odense. The abbey received its recognition by Pope Innocent II in 1138. St. Mary's Church (Danish: Sct Maria) is the oldest brick church in Scandinavia, a successor to the travertine church of 1080. St. Canute's bones were moved into a new chapel in the priory church at Ringsted in 1157 with the approval of St Canute's son, Valdemar I. The church became an immediate pilgrimage site. With the funds raised from pilgrims and royal patronage the abbey church was expanded and dedicated in 1170 with great ceremony. Subsequently Ringsted Priory became the location of the burials of many of Valdemar's descendants from 1182 until 1341. Valdemar I Sejr and Queen Dagmar were buried there. The church was later renamed St. Bendt's Church after St Benedict.

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