St. Agnes' Priory, Roskilde
St. Agnes' Priory was a Roman Catholic convent for women of the Dominican Order, situated in Roskilde in Denmark from 1264 until the Danish Reformation. It was a prestigious establishment, and most nuns came from the Danish nobility.
History
In 1264, the St. Agnes' Priory was founded north of the city outside the walls. The Priory was named after its official founder, Princess Agnes of Denmark, who served as its first prioress (in 1264-1266), and who was placed in the convent with her sister Jutta of Denmark (prioress in 1266-1270) by the Danish regent Margaret Sambiria with their inheritance, including several large properties.[1] The princesses did not like monastic life and left the convent in 1270, retracting their property, and for 60 years afterwards the courts heard the complaints of the nuns' legal representatives.
The St. Agnes' Priory became a rich institution, and its members normally came from the highest Danish nobility. The nuns seemed to attract more financial support than the Dominican male convent, the St. Catherine's Priory, Roskilde, and eventually owned more than 70 farms all over Zealand, which had been donated to them for maintenance and income. They also owned two bath houses in the town as additional income properties. At its height there was room for 30 nuns. King Erik Menved donated a large property including a mill to the nuns in 1295.
Dissolution
The Reformation brought both nunnery at Roskilde to an end. The properties of the nuns were confiscated as early as 1527. In 1536 Denmark became officially Lutheran, rejecting all Catholic institutions and most traditions.