Locus celebris

de Stephan Borgehammar, Jes Wienberg

Locus Celebris, the famous place so called Dalby early 1100s by the English Benedict Ælnoth, and Dalby are still famous for many reasons. The Holy Cross Church in Dalby is the oldest standing church in Scandinavia and has a three-aisled basilica from about 1060 built on the initiative of King Sven Estridsson. It is the burial ground for Sven's son, King Harald Hen (d. 1080/81). It also has an August monastery, convent and extended outbuildings still standing north of the church. In the Middle Ages this monastery took 450 yards and was thus one of the richest monasteries in contemporary Denmark. The Dalby book, Denmark's oldest liturgical manuscripts, was previously thought to have arisen in the monastery. Currently, Dalby is also known for its royal hunting park in Dalby Hage with ditch and embankment in Dalby Söderskog. This anthology is comprised of entries by scientists representing different fields such as historical archeology, architectural archeology, history, art history, church history, canon law, medievalism, topology and practical theology. They converged from seven different countries to highlight unanswered questions about Dalby church, monastery and farm and to seek a richer, more multifaceted understanding of this place that has been so important, especially during the early Middle Ages. Old truths are reviewed and leave room for new insights, and a new, more complex picture of the famous site.