Description of the attraction
The ruins of Ebelholt Abbey are located 5 kilometers west of the town of Hilerod. Earlier on this site stood a large monastery complex belonging to the Augustinian monks.
Initially, the monastery was located in a different place - near the city of Roskilde. It was founded in 1104. However, Bishop Absalon of Roskilde did not approve of the way things were conducted in this monastery, and decided to found another Augustinian monastery. To do this, he summoned his friend from Paris, Abbot Wilhelm, who came to Denmark in 1165.
The first wooden church on the present site of the abbey appeared in 1167, and in 1210 it was replaced by a sandstone building. The popularity of the Abbey Ebelholt grew, since its abbot, the same French abbot Wilhelm, was declared a saint during his lifetime. And after he was officially canonized, his tomb began to attract hundreds of pilgrims. His relics are now kept in many large churches in Denmark, including the cathedrals of Roskilde and Copenhagen.
Since 1230, the abbey's real economic growth began - it owned spacious agricultural land, and many pilgrims stayed in the monastery itself. However, after the Reformation in 1535, many religious institutions in Denmark were closed, and their lands were transferred to the Danish crown. The new owner of the monastery complex ordered the destruction of all buildings, with the exception of two churches, which became the centers of parishes. Now only ruins of red brick remain from the monastery, while most of the building materials went to the construction of Frederiksborg Palace.
During archaeological excavations in 1930-1950, many ancient objects and artifacts that previously belonged to monks were discovered. They are now on display in the abbey museum. Also, ancient skeletons were discovered, surprisingly preserved. They can be used to study medieval diseases.
In 1957, on the territory of the destroyed abbey, a pharmaceutical garden was laid out, created on the example of the inner courtyard of the Swiss monastery of St. Gallen. It is home to hundreds of different types of medicinal plants that existed in Denmark during the Middle Ages.
