Ringsted Abbey

The town had a royal mint in 1020 and a Benedictine priory was established by King Sven Estridsen before his death in 1076, but not completed until 1081 or 1082 under Svend Norbagge, Bishop of Roskilde.

Knud Lavard's bones were moved into a new chapel in the priory church at Ringsted in 1157 with the approval of his son, King Valdemar I of Denmark.

With the funds raised from pilgrims and royal patronage the abbey church was expanded and dedicated in 1170 with great ceremony.

[4][5] [6] Ringsted Priory became an abbey in the mid-13th century and by that time was so influential that its abbot was a permanent member of the State Council (Danish: Rigsråd) which advised Denmark's kings until the Reformation.

Ringsted Abbey enjoyed almost continuous royal support as well as that of the most powerful noble families and bishops of Denmark.

The abbey also had papal protections and in 1193 received permission to hold mass even when Denmark lay under interdict as happened periodically in the stormy years of the 13th century.

The national archives contain a few letters from the 15th century and bit of the Ringsted Book which outlines monetary privileges.