Bispetorv, Aarhus

Bispetorv

<span class="nickname" ">Bishop's Square
Bispetorv
Former name(s)	Torvet, Gammeltorv
Location	Indre By, Aarhus, Denmark
Postal code	8000
Coordinates	56°09′23.1″N 10°12′36.9″E / 56.156417°N 10.210250°E

Bispetorv (lit. Bishop's Square) is a public square located in the Indre By neighborhood in Aarhus, Denmark. Bispetorv faces Aarhus Cathedral to the north, Aarhus Theatre to the east and is located in or close to the historic Latin Quarter neighborhood. The streets Mejlgade and Skolegade and Skt. Clemens Torv emanates from the square. Bispetorv was renovated in 2016, effectively changing it from a parking lot to a public space which is today a venue for many public events and gatherings in the city. The square is home to notable buildings such as Aarhus Cathedral and Aarhus Theatre along with the Viking Museum. Bispetorv is c. 3000 m² and 110 meters by 45 meters. The square features an equestrian statue of king Christian X.^[1]

History

Originally, in the early viking settlement, the area of present-day Bispetorv was a pagan burial site. In the 900s Aarhus became the seat of the Diocese of Aarhus and in the late 11th century the bishop Peder Vognsen initiated construction of Aarhus Cathedral on and slightly north of the burial site. The cathedral would come to dominate the area henceforth. The cathedral and it's diocese grew larger through the following centuries and a number of buildings were constructed south of it for clergy and administration. The primary buildings in the area was a large stone building used by the cathedral chapter and a number of homes for clergy.^[2] After the reformation in Denmark the chapter house was turned into the home of the bishop with a large garden and wall facing the street Kannikegade. Kanikkegade (Lit. canon Street) is named for the canon houses that lined it at the time. In 1881 Aarhus Municipality bought the bishop's house and demolished it in order to create a public space and give the cathedral "room to breathe". The space between Store Torv and the new square was still occupied by a building which wasn't removed until 1921 when Bispetorv was given it's current size and shape.^[3]

The square has been a center for Aarhus Festival Week for many years. In 2009 a contest for future use of the square was published. The contest was won by the landscaping company Schønherr which in the following years transformed the square from a parking lot to a public space with trees and greenery. The square is also home to a large archaeological dig by Moesgård Museum, taking place underground. The excavations aims to expand the Viking Museum as a subterranean museum under Bispetorv.^[4]

References

1. "Bispetorvet" (in Danish). Aarhus City Archives. Archived from the original on 2016-10-20. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
2. Sejr 1900, p. 11: "Vi kan kun konstatere, at der har ligget forskellige bygninger, hvor der nu er torv, sAledes fandtes for reformationen fandtes midt pA det nuvrerende Bispetorv et stort stenhus, >Kapitelgirden<, der rummede lokaler for domkapitlets mangeartede virksomhed."
3. "Byggeskik" (in Danish). Aarhus Municipality. Archived from the original on 2016-10-20. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
4. "Bispetorvet bliver til et grønt pusterum" (in Danish). Århus Stiftstidende. Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2016.

Publications

• Sejr, Emanuel (1900). Gamle Århusgader II. Århus Byhistoriske Udvalg.

External links

• Account of a battle on Bispetorv in 1945 between German troops and Danish resistance fighters