Long-Lost Medieval Monastery Discovered Beneath Parking Garage in England

The Smithsonian Magazine ^ | 10/20/20 | Livia Gershon

[marshmallow]

Carmelite friars established Whitefriars in 1270, but the religious site was destroyed during the Protestant Reformation

Archaeologists digging under the remains of a demolished parking garage in Gloucester, England, have found the ruins of a 13th-century monastery, BBC News reports.

Established around 1270, the Carmelite friary—known as Whitefriars—was all but demolished during the 16th century. Historians had long been aware of the house of worship’s existence, but they didn’t know exactly where it was located. Researchers from the Gloucester City Council and Cotswold Archaeology took advantage of a redevelopment project in the city’s King’s Quarter neighborhood to investigate.

“For around 300 years, Whitefriars played an active part in Gloucester,” says city archaeologist Andrew Armstrong in a statement. “… Seeing and documenting this site will serve to underline, and recognize, the place of the friary in the city's history.”

Medieval friars were similar to monks, but rather than devoting themselves purely to prayer and scholarship, they engaged with and served the broader community. One of the most significant figure connected to the Whitefriars site was Nicholas Cantilupe, a theologian and historian from a noble family.

[Red Badger]

If they keep this up, the UK will become one large MUSEUM....................