Helgeseter Priory
Encyclopedia
Helgeseter Priory or Elgeseter Priory was a house of Augustinian Canons in what is now Elgeseter
in Trondheim
, Norway
, across the river Nidelven from Nidaros Cathedral
. The priory was connected to the cathedral by Elgeseter Bridge
, making it possible for the canons to perform their duty in the cathedral choir
. The monastery was founded by Archbishop Eystein no later than 1183, and rapidly assumed political importance.
In May 1240 Duke Skule was killed outside this monastery. He had been attacked by the Birkebeiner
s in Nidaros
, and after wandering for a couple of days took refuge in Helgeseter. The Birkebeiners set fire to the monastery and forced Skule out again, whereupon they killed him, with his son Peter.
The priory was suppressed during the Reformation
in 1537. The old prior
continued to live at the monastery until 1546, when the Lutheran bishop of Nidaros moved in.
In 1564 the buildings were burned down and after 1606 the site was used as a quarry. There are now no visible ruins, but underground remains lie beneath the present Klostergata 47 and 60-62 and the roadway between them, a little south of the Nidelven.
Elgeseter
Elgeseter is a location in Trondheim, Norway located south and east of the river Nidelven, south of Midtbyen, east of Nidarø, west of Singsaker and north of Lerkendal. The name comes from Helgeseter, the name of Helgeseter Priory, an Augustinian abbey located at Elgeseter during the Middle...
in Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, across the river Nidelven from Nidaros Cathedral
Nidaros Cathedral
Nidaros Cathedral is a Church of Norway cathedral located in the city of Trondheim in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It was the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nidaros from its establishment in 1152 until its abolition in 1537. Since the Reformation, it has been the cathedral of the...
. The priory was connected to the cathedral by Elgeseter Bridge
Elgeseter Bridge
Elgeseter Bridge is a bridge in the city and municipality of Trondheim in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the European route E6 highway which passes over the Nidelva river and connects Prinsens street in the Midtbyen area of Trondheim with Elgeseter street in the Elgeseter area of...
, making it possible for the canons to perform their duty in the cathedral choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
. The monastery was founded by Archbishop Eystein no later than 1183, and rapidly assumed political importance.
In May 1240 Duke Skule was killed outside this monastery. He had been attacked by the Birkebeiner
Birkebeiner
The Birkebein Party or Birkebeinar was the name for a rebellious party in Norway, formed in 1174 around the pretender to the Norwegian throne, Eystein Meyla...
s in Nidaros
Nidaros
Nidaros or Niðarós was during the Middle Ages, the old name of Trondheim, Norway . Until the Reformation, Nidaros remained the centre of the spiritual life of the country...
, and after wandering for a couple of days took refuge in Helgeseter. The Birkebeiners set fire to the monastery and forced Skule out again, whereupon they killed him, with his son Peter.
The priory was suppressed during the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in 1537. The old prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
continued to live at the monastery until 1546, when the Lutheran bishop of Nidaros moved in.
In 1564 the buildings were burned down and after 1606 the site was used as a quarry. There are now no visible ruins, but underground remains lie beneath the present Klostergata 47 and 60-62 and the roadway between them, a little south of the Nidelven.