Our Lady's Priory, Aarhus
Our Lady's Priory, Aarhus () was an early Dominican foundation just outside the original walls of Aarhus, Denmark. The buildings are part of the Church of Our Lady (Vor Frue Kirke) complex, now part of the inner city of Aarhus, but they have been repurposed. Early history The exact date of the founding of Our Lady's Priory is unknown. Estimate the time have been between 1221 and 1246. Certainly by 1240 a Dominican priory was established just outside the walls of Aarhus, Jutland's largest town. The recently rediscovered crypt church beneath the choir of Vor Frue Kirke is perhaps the oldest surviving stone church in Scandinavia, dating from the reign of King Sven Estridsen (c. 1019–1076). The placement of the priory was in conjunction with the still-extant Church of Our Lady (Vor Frue Kirke) which had been built in 1080 on the site of the chapel of St Nicholas' Spring, and served as the cathedral church in Aarhus from 1180. The earlier chapel had been constructed in about 1060 when Bishop Christian arrived to organize the Diocese of Aarhus.When Aarhus Cathedral was built, the Dominicans were given the use of the old church, to which they added a new choir