Roskilde once had a remarkable number of churches for a town of its size — at its medieval peak it had over a dozen, reflecting its importance as a religious centre and royal capital. Most were demolished after the Reformation, but the ruins of Saint Laurentius Church survive near the town centre, preserved as a scheduled monument.
The remains are modest — some foundation walls and a few courses of stone — but they give a concrete sense of how densely churched medieval Roskilde was. Combined with the cathedral and the several other surviving medieval churches in the town, they help explain why Roskilde punches well above its current weight as a place of historical significance.