Stavanger Cathedral is the only Norwegian cathedral from the Middle Ages that has retained its original architecture.
Stavanger Cathedral will be closed from 1 May 2020 - December 2023 due to restoration.
Season: all year round, but will be closed to the public during events. Stavanger Cathedral is the only Norwegian cathedral from the Middle Ages that has retained its original architecture, and the only one that has been in continuous use since the 14th century. Just a stone's throw from the harbor/vågen is Norway's best-preserved cathedral.
The history of Stavanger Cathedral:
According to tradition, Stavanger Cathedral was built in 1125 when Sigurd Jorsalfarer made Stavanger the episcopal seat. Bishop Reinald of Winchester was responsible for the construction and the church was built in Anglo-Norman style, probably by English craftsmen. The church's patron saint is St. Svithun, and his arm is said to have been one of the church's original relics. In 1272, the cathedral was hit by fire, and then it got a new choir built in the Gothic style. The pulpit and five epitaphs were carved by Andrew Smith in the 1650s. In the armory hangs a carpet by Frida Hansen, about Saint Olav. She has also made one of the altar cloths and the carpet in the altar ring. The stained glass windows were made by Victor Sparre in 1957.
Read more here: Stavanger Cathedral