Stavanger Cathedral, Stavanger, Norway

Stavanger Cathedral is Norway's oldest cathedral. Bishop Reinald, who may have come from Winchester, is said to have started construction of the Cathedral around 1100. It was finished around 1150, and the city of Stavanger counts 1125 as its year of foundation. The Cathedral was consecrated to Swithin as its patron saint. Saint Swithun was an early Bishop of Winchester and subsequently patron saint of Winchester Cathedral. Stavanger was ravaged by fire in 1272, and the Cathedral suffered heavy damage. It was rebuilt under bishop Arne, and the Romanesque Cathedral was enlarged in the Gothic style.

In 1682, king Christian V decided to move Stavanger's episcopal seat to Kristiansand. However, on Stavanger's 800th anniversary in 1925, king Haakon VII instated Jacob Christian Petersen as Stavanger's first bishop in nearly 250 years.During a renovation in the 1860s, the Cathedral's exterior and interior was considerably altered. The stone walls were plastered, and the Cathedral lost much of its medieval looks. A major restoration led by Gerhard Fischer in 1939-1964 partly reversed those changes. The latest major restoration of the Cathedral was conducted in 1999. Andrew Lawrenceson Smith is famous for his works here.

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User Reviews

Lito Mahilum (4 years ago)
I Remember this when I, Once a sea farer on board a passenger cruise ship

Jochen Hertweck (5 years ago)
While I understand its important place in Norwegian history as one of the oldest religious buildings in the country, charging an entrance fee of 50 NOK for such a small church is still a rip-off.

Rutger van der Linden (5 years ago)
It's a bit tricky to get into the building, queuing can occur due to the limited ticket sale facilities and volunteers, who try to manage the flow of tourists through the structure. Small structure inside, not easy to take photos, very crowded. Still, impressively old, building breathes history.

Gard Karlsen (5 years ago)
The cathedral was built in 1125 AD and marks the beginning of Stavanger. Built in both Roman and Gothic style, it is unique in many ways and it is the only church in Norway that has been in use continuously since the 14th century. It is not as huge and impressive as some of the major cathedrals of Europe of course but still a beautiful church in a lovely location. Note that the cathedral will be closed in mid 2020 for a couple of years for restoration in connection with the anniversary in 2025.

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Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.

Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.

There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.

Stavanger Cathedral

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