| Domus Dei | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Church |
| Location | Old Portsmouth |
| Coordinates | 50°47′20″N1°06′14″W / 50.788967°N 1.103943°W /50.788967; -1.103943 |
| OS grid reference | SZ 63269 99205 |
| Area | Hampshire |
| Built | ca 1212 |
| Architectural style | Early English |
| Owner | English Heritage |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Royal Garrison Church |
| Designated | 18 Mar 1999 |
| Reference no. | 1245790 |
  Location of Domus Dei in Hampshire | |
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Domus Dei (Hospital ofSaint Nicholas and SaintJohn the Baptist) was analmshouse andhospice atOld Portsmouth,Hampshire, England. It is now also known as theRoyal Garrison Church and is anEnglish Heritage property and aGrade II listed building.[1]
The hospice was established byPeter des Roches (sometimes incorrectly named as de Rupibus),Bishop of Winchester andWilliam of Wrotham in around 1212 A.D.[1][2]
In 1450 an unpopular advisor to the king, BishopAdam Moleyns ofChichester was conducting a service at the chapel of Domus Dei when a number of naval seamen (resentful of being only partially paid and only provided with limited provisions) burst into the church, dragged out the bishop and murdered him.[3]
As a result of this the entire town ofPortsmouth was placed under theGreater Excommunication, an interdict which lasted until 1508, removed at the request ofBishop Foxe of Winchester.[4]
In 1540, like many otherchantry buildings, it was seized by KingHenry VIII and until 1560 was used as anarmoury. After 1560, a mansion built close by the south-side became the home of the local military governor.[5]
In 1662 the mansion hosted the wedding of KingCharles II and PrincessCatherine of Braganza.[6] In 1814, thePrince Regent hosted at the Governor's house TsarAlexander I of Russia and KingFrederick William IV of Prussia, along with several leading Allied military figures following the end of theWar of the Sixth Coalition.[7][8]
Towards the end of the seventeenth century the church building fell into disrepair until it was restored in 1767 to become the Garrison church. Once again, the Church fell into disrepair and in 1865 a new restoration project began under the direction ofG. E. Street which lasted ten years.[6]
On 10 January 1941 the buildings of Domus Dei were partially destroyed in an attack byGerman bombers, when all thestained glass windows were blown out and thenave was rendered roofless by incendiary bombs and a single high explosive bomb. New glazing was subsequently fitted. Apart from the East window with its traditional design, all the other windows show much of the British Army's relationship to the Church and the City of Portsmouth. Thechancel is intact, but the nave remains roofless.[1]
The aisles but not the central nave were re-roofed in 1995.[2] In October 2021, the building was one of 142 sites across England to receive part of a £35-million grant from the government'sCulture Recovery Fund.[9]
