Candida Casa facts for kids

Candida Casa was the name of a very old church built by St Ninian in a place called Whithorn, in southern Scotland. This happened a long, long time ago, around the middle of the 400s AD. The name "Candida Casa" comes from two Latin words: casa, which means "hut" or "house," and candida, meaning "shining" or "white." So, it was like the "White House" or "Shining House." People think it might have been called this because of the light-colored stone used to build it, or maybe because it was painted white.

The Story of Candida Casa

Whithorn was an important trading spot even before the church was built. It became a center for Christianity in Scotland about 150 years before the famous island of Iona.

Scotland's First Christian Place

Around the year 397, St Ninian started the first Christian mission in this part of Scotland. This was when the Roman soldiers were still in Britain. He built a small stone church, which was the "Candida Casa." It was Scotland's very first Christian building and the first Christian settlement north of Hadrian's Wall. This church quickly became very important. It grew into a cathedral (a main church for a bishop) and a monastery (a place where monks live and work). Even when things were politically unstable, many people still traveled there on pilgrimage (a special journey to a holy place).

A Place of Learning

Candida Casa was also a big learning center. Many monks were trained there. These monks later traveled to other places like Ireland and Alba (an old name for Scotland) to share Christian teachings. Some even went as far north as the Orkney and Shetland islands!

One famous person who studied there was Saint Éogan. He was from Ireland and lived in the 500s. The story says that pirates took him to Britain. After he became free, he went to study at Candida Casa. Some people believe Candida Casa was like a great school called Rosnat, and it helped start many monasteries in Ireland.

Interesting things like pottery and glass from places like the Mediterranean Sea and Western France were found at this old monastery. This shows that people from far away visited or lived there. Many monks might have even come from France, bringing new skills and crafts with them.

Changes Over Time

Over the centuries, the area around Whithorn changed hands many times. It was controlled by the Brythonic people, then the Northumbrians, and later the Norse (Vikings). Finally, by the year 1100, it became part of the Kingdom of Scots.

In 1128, the bishopric (the area a bishop is in charge of) of Whithorn was started again. A new cathedral and a priory (a monastery run by a prior or prioress) were built on the same spot.

What's There Now?

Sadly, the site fell into disrepair after the Scottish Reformation (a time when the church in Scotland changed a lot). Today, the ruins are looked after by Historic Environment Scotland and are called "Whithorn Priory and Museum." Next to these ruins is "St Ninians's Priory." This church was built in 1822 and is still used by the Church of Scotland parish in Whithorn.