†SORTEBRØDRE KLOSTERKIRKE

1768 ODENSE • †MIDDELALDERKIRKER
tery, but the question remains whether there
was still at that time a cemetery in part of the
area.
Impressions of a convent and a priory seal
have survived.
In the course of archaeological investigations
1972-91 the remains of both the priory church
and monastery were excavated. A number of
graves were recorded within the church and
outside it.
ALTARS. Extremely little is known about the
altars. As already mentioned it is presumed that
the church was dedicated to St. Peter. However,
judging from the priory seal it may also have
had St. Nicholas as its patron saint. The numerous
endowments to celebrate masses for the
souls of the dead suggest that there were probably
several more altars. A Holy Cross altar is
known through a donation in 1441.
SURROUNDINGS AND CHURCHYARD.
The site of the monastery covered what is now
Sortebrødre Torv (Blackfriars Square) with outbuildings
on the periphery, as well as the area
directly north of this which was the north-eastern
part of the medieval town.
The only evidence of the cemetery's boundary
walls and entrances was in Overstræde,
where the foundations of what appeared to be
either a gateway or gatehouse came to light.
BUILDING. The monastery church comprised
the south wing of the extensive four-winged
complex and had presumably been begun
shortly after the founding of the monastery, i.e.
in the mid 13th century. According to the Dominican
custom the original church was probably
a single-aisled building, considerably enlarged
to the south in late medieval times.
The foundations of the church at the west end
consisted of trenches c. 2.2 m wide filled with
coarse gravel, small fieldstones and brick rubble;
nothing of the walls remained but they were
undoubtedly of bricks, found in large quantities
in the rubble stratum from the demolition of the
church.
The east wing of the monastery had been built
in the same period as the east end of the church.
Three chambers came to light in the south end
of the wing, these have accommodated the sacristy
of the church, the monastic library and
chapter hall. The walls of the east wing were
brickbuilt.
FITTINGS. According to an inventory (probably
a post-reformation list of confiscation) the
monastery church owned a "golden altar", an
altar-piece, probably adorned by gilt copper
plates and dating from the 13th century.
BURIALS. The archaeological excavation of the
church and cemetery yielded c. 800 graves,
twelve of which were brickbuilt cists. Traces of
wooden coffins were found in about two-thirds
of the remaining graves.
†*Tombstone. About 1459. Hans Mule, mayor
of Odense, d. 1459, and his wife. Recorded by
the family as having been transferred from
†Blackfriars monastery church to Vor Frue
church (p. 1162 fig. 177).
Foundation for †tombstone(). Late medieval. In
the church's extension to the south - the south
side aisle - a rectangular foundation of boulders
was recorded (fig. 8) which in all likelihood
formed the base of a †tombstone raised above
floor level. It appears to be contemporary with a
coffin interred at its centre.
Inside the church were excavated two graves
with funeral swords, three graves held fragments
of seal stamps, and one had a pilgrim's badge.
*Charon coins(). Three coins were excavated
which may, judging from their finding places,
have represented coins for Charon.