St. Ansgar's Cathedral
Encyclopedia
Saint Ansgar's Cathedral in Copenhagen
, Denmark
is the principal church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Copenhagen, which encompasses all of Denmark, including the Faroe Islands
and Greenland
.
were centered around foreign legations. Starting with the one formed by the Spanish
diplomat (and poet) Count Bernardino de Rebolledo
, who served in Denmark between 1648 and 1659, continuous church registers were kept. From its original location at de Rebolledo's residence on Østergade
the chapel moved around between various legation addresses, but in 1764 it settled at the present location on what is now Bredgade. For some time the Austrian
legation had been the main supporter of the congregation, and the new chapel was financed by Empress Maria Theresia.
The present day church was designed by the German-born architect Gustav Friedrich Hetsch
. Construction began in 1840 and the church was consecrated on All Saints' Day, 1 November 1842. During 1988–1992 the church underwent extensive restoration
in collaboration with the National Museum of Denmark
under the direction of the architect Vilhelm Wohlert
.
The cathedral possesses the skull of St. Lucius, an early pope, which previously had been in Roskilde Cathedral
which was originally dedicated to the saint.
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
is the principal church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Copenhagen, which encompasses all of Denmark, including the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
and Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
.
History
The first Catholic congregations in Denmark after the Protestant reformationReformation in Denmark
The Reformation in Denmark–Norway and Holstein was the transition from Roman Catholicism to Lutheranism in the realms ruled by the Copenhagen-based House of Oldenburg in the first half of the sixteenth century...
were centered around foreign legations. Starting with the one formed by the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
diplomat (and poet) Count Bernardino de Rebolledo
Bernardino de Rebolledo
Bernardino de Rebolledo y Villamizar, was a Spanish poet, soldier and diplomat , and one of the most original poets, of the 17th century in Spain...
, who served in Denmark between 1648 and 1659, continuous church registers were kept. From its original location at de Rebolledo's residence on Østergade
Strøget
Strøget is a carfree zone in Copenhagen, Denmark. This popular tourist attraction in the centre of town is the longest pedestrian shopping area in Europe....
the chapel moved around between various legation addresses, but in 1764 it settled at the present location on what is now Bredgade. For some time the Austrian
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
legation had been the main supporter of the congregation, and the new chapel was financed by Empress Maria Theresia.
The present day church was designed by the German-born architect Gustav Friedrich Hetsch
Gustav Friedrich Hetsch
Gustav Friedrich Hetsch was a German-born, Danish architect.Hetsch was born in Stuttgart and studied at the University of Tübingen and in Paris, where his teacher was Charles Percier. After finishing his studies, he worked for Jean-Baptiste Rondelet on the Church of Sainte-Geneviève...
. Construction began in 1840 and the church was consecrated on All Saints' Day, 1 November 1842. During 1988–1992 the church underwent extensive restoration
Building restoration
Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...
in collaboration with the National Museum of Denmark
National Museum of Denmark
The National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen is Denmark’s largest museum of cultural history, comprising the histories of Danish and foreign cultures, alike. The museum's main domicile is located a short distance from Strøget at the center of Copenhagen. It contains exhibits from around the world,...
under the direction of the architect Vilhelm Wohlert
Vilhelm Wohlert
Vilhelm Wohlert was a Danish architect.Wohlert was educated at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts' School of Architecture, where one of his teachers was Kaare Klint. In 1958 he and his partner Jørgen Bo started work on the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, a project on which they would work for...
.
The cathedral possesses the skull of St. Lucius, an early pope, which previously had been in Roskilde Cathedral
Roskilde Cathedral
Roskilde Cathedral , in the city of Roskilde on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark, is a cathedral of the Lutheran Church of Denmark. The first Gothic cathedral to be built of brick, it encouraged the spread of the Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe...
which was originally dedicated to the saint.