Gavnø Chapel
Gavnø Chapel was indeed build in the name of faith in 1402 and is identical with the convent church from the 14th century, which Queen Margrete the 1. let build one of only two convents in Denmark for the Dominican nuns.
Unique carving work
It was Helle Rosenkrantz-Gyldenstjer, who in 1670 led all these colors into the old monastery church. She was married to a man of the Trolle family, Admiral Niels Trolle, and she loved this church. She wanted to beautify the church and therefore ordered the altar and pulpit with the sumptuous color scheme of the famous Næstved master Abel Schrøder, the Younger (1602-1676), who, as a skilled craftsman, ran his carving workshop. On both the altar and the pulpit, the Trolle family’s coat of arms, the headless troll, reveals, for posterity, that they are ordered for this genus.
In a peculiar way, we also find on the side wall and on the cornice over the corbue furniture that dates back to Sct. Agnete Monastery. It is the old Catholic corfu crucifix and the ancient Catholic figures from the 14th century carved in wood. These have probably also been in the church during the monastery period.
On the outer walls of the church are Admiral Niels Trolle and wife’s wife Helle Rosenkrantz ‘initials performed in iron anchors – H N T and F H R.
FACTBOX
Another unusual thing we find is the bridal bench, located below the pulpit. It is from the year 1576.
Beautifully decorated in Renaissance style with acanthus foliage on both front and back. It carries Latin and German inscriptions with exhortations to the young couple who must be devoted to the bench.
At Gavnø, as the only church in Denmark, we still have a bridal bench. It is therefore also literally unique.
