ROSKILDE, or ROESKILDE  , a town of Denmark in the amt (county) of KjSbenhavn (Copenhagen), 20 M. by rail W. of Copenhagen, on the great lagoon-like inlet named Roskilde Fjord . Pop . (1901) 8368 . It has a small port, and is an important railway junction, from which lines diverge W., S.W. and S. through the island of Zealand . Its interest, however, is historical . It was the capital of the kingdom until 1443, and the residence of the bishops of Zealand until the Reformation . The cathedral, a beautiful church, was consecrated in 1084, but of this early building only foundation walls remain; the present structure of brick was begun in 1215, and enlarged and restored at various later dates . It stands in relation to Danish history somewhat as Westminster Abbey does to English, containing the tombs of most of the Danish kings from Harold I . (987) . The most noteworthy architectural details are the Chapel of the Trinity (15th century) and that of Christian IV . (Renaissance, 1617), carved choir-stalls, and an altar-piece of the 16th century . Other old buildings are a church of Our Lady, dating as it stands from 1242, a diocesan library (partly of the 15th century), royal palace (1733) and institute for daughters of noblemen (167o) .