Subsurface Scans Reveal Intact 13th-Century Monastic Layout
The subsurface survey showed that the structural integrity of the medieval complex survived largely intact beneath the open field and casual football pitch located roughly 45 minutes from Copenhagen. These wings are arranged in right angles around a traditional central courtyard, with particularly well-preserved remains found in the eastern wing.
The 1256 Founding and Reformation Demolition Orders
Following the success of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, authorities closed the facility and ordered its demolition, repurposing its building materials across the region.
Half a Million Bricks Plundered for Selsø Castle
Archival records note that roughly half a million bricks from the convent were sold off to help construct the nearby Selsø Castle. This massive extraction prompted generations of researchers to conclude that the site had been completely dismantled down to bedrock.
From Sports Pitch to Systematic Physical Excavation
Because the land subsequently remained an open, unbuilt space utilized primarily for local sports rather than heavy urban expansion, the underlying foundations escaped modern destruction. The initial deployment of ground-penetrating radar successfully mapped surviving structural elements including interior corridors, pillar remnants, vaulted ceilings, and partitioned rooms. Following the subsurface scan, researchers from ROMU and the National Museum of Denmark plan to conduct systematic physical excavations using trenches to examine the ruins in situ.
Worth a look
