Description of the attraction
An important historical landmark in Aalborg is the Church of the Virgin Mary. Initially, the building was a small church, but over time, a monastery was built on the site of the church, which impressed with its size.
Presumably, the Benedictine monastery was built in 1116, although the opinions of historians differ: some argue that the date of foundation is 1132. It is reliably known that in 1140 the Norwegian king Sigurd Magnusson was buried within the walls of the church, as evidenced by the records of the monastery priest Kjelda Kalva.
By the middle of the 16th century, the abbey consisted of a monastery church, cells and annexes. Later, the Church of the Virgin Mary became one of the main parish churches in the city. Due to the dilapidation of the building, in 1876 it was decided to demolish it and build a new church in the same place. Two years later, a new temple was built in the Gothic style; only two bells and remains of stone carving on the western pediment remained from the old structure.
Now the tower of the temple with a spire and a porch with a relief image of the Virgin Mary are especially impressive. Inside the church there is an organ, which was built in 1961 (decorated with gold and flowers), a beautiful old pulpit carved from wood in 1581, a 17th century baptismal font, and a late Gothic crucifix. Until 1902, a 17th century altar was placed in the cathedral, but because of a fire it burned down and was replaced with a new one.
Every year the monastery is visited by a large number of tourists from all over the world.
