Odense settlements. The first church in Odense appears to have been St Mary's, probably built in the late 12th century. The territory, previously part of the vast Archbishopric of Hamburg, was created a Catholic diocese in 988. The first recorded bishops of Odense were Odinkar Hvide and Reginbert, who was consecrated by Archbishop Æthelnoth of Canterbury, in 1022. Recent excavations have shown that from the early 11th century, the town developed in the area around Albani Torv, Fisketorvet, Overgade and Vestergade. By 1070, Odense had already grown into a city of stature in Denmark. Canute IV of Denmark, generally considered to
Odense Palace strong military influence after the Funen Divisional Officers Library was established there in 1914. The state sold the palace to the Municipality of Odense in 1907, after which the royal garden (King's Garden) was also opened to the public. In subsequent years various official services were housed there, such as the fire station and the amt council. The termination of the amt system in 2007 brought to a close almost 500 years of state administration in Odense. The palace is now used by the urban and cultural administration of the municipality, and has been newly renovated. Odense Palace Odense Palace