Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim: description, history and interesting facts

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Norway is a unique country unlike any other in Scandinavia. Local landscapes fascinate with their harsh and pure beauty, and Norwegian history can be read on long winter evenings, it seems so fabulous and unusual. If you are lucky enough to come here, be sure to visit the city of Trondheim. Its main attraction is the Nidaros Cathedral, to which this article is dedicated.

Trondheim is one of the most important Norwegian cities

Many Norwegians consider Trondheim the oldest city in the country. It is characterized as the historical, cultural and religious center of Norway. Numerous tourists come here to get acquainted with the sights of the city, many of which are more than a thousand years old. The Norwegians themselves come here as pilgrims to visit the Nidaros Cathedral. Lutheran Cathedral is a religiousa shrine that has experienced periods of prosperity and oblivion over many hundreds of years.

Despite its long history and some austerity, Trondheim is a vibrant and youthful city. Life is seething here, and at night some quarters simply stun tourists with an abundance of lights and entertainment centers. But still, first of all, the city should be considered in the context of a religious center, because the very Nidaros Cathedral, the history of which we will now tell you about, played a great role in its formation and development.

St. Olav: Viking and hero of Norway

It's hard to talk about the Nidaros Cathedral (Trondheim) without mentioning the Norwegian hero, who became the root cause of the appearance of this extraordinary religious building in the Gothic style. Therefore, our story will begin with Olav Haraldsson.

He was born in 995 in Norway, until adolescence, Olav led the life of a simple Viking, who at various times was hired by the English king and the Duke of Normandy. But at the age of eighteen he was baptized in France and went to Jerusalem. During a pilgrimage, eighteen-year-old Olaf had a vision in which God called him to return to Norway and join the fight for the throne. The young man obeyed, and within a few years he became the king of the country and was revered as a national hero. For thirteen years Olaf ruled Norway justly and wisely, but his dream was to convert all his subjects to Christianity. To this end, he made several missionary trips inland, where he tried by force to plant a new religion on pagans.tribes. This led to military clashes, as a result of which the throne was lost to Olaf.

In exile, he prayed a lot and once again received a vision calling him to another fight for Norway. A year later, with a hastily assembled army, the deposed king went on a campaign that ended for him in death on July 29, 1030. Olaf was buried with honors near the sandbank (now the Nidaros Cathedral stands here) in Nidaros. We can say that the history of the Lutheran shrine began from that moment.

Holy place

A year after Olaf's death, the Norwegians decided to rebury his remains, but when they opened the grave, they were shocked - the king's body had not decayed. The local bishop elevated him to the rank of saints and set about building a small wooden chapel. It was supposed to be located directly above the grave of St. Olave.

Ordinary Norwegians wanted to see the grave of the legendary king with their own eyes, so they began to come here as pilgrims. Surprisingly, many were cured of various diseases after spending several days in the chapel. The fame of the holy place spread throughout the country with lightning speed, and the pilgrims who came here contributed to the development of the city.

About forty years later, on the site of a modest chapel, a monumental stone structure was built - the Nidaros Cathedral, which has survived to this day almost unchanged.

Reformation, the ban on pilgrimage and the revival of the shrine

For many years the cathedral flourished, and everyone who came here withwith an open heart and sincere prayer, received a long-awaited answer to their ardent requests. But the Protestant Reformation turned the cathedral into a Lutheran one, and Olaf's tomb was moved to Copenhagen. All precious stones were removed from it and the base itself was melted down into coins. Pilgrimage to these places fell under a strict ban. For many years, oblivion and decline awaited the Nidaros Cathedral.

Norway managed to return the cathedral to its former status only a few decades ago, and on the day of Olav's death, pilgrims from all over Scandinavia flock here, despite their belonging to the Protestant church. On such days in Trondheim it is simply impossible to find free rooms in hotels and hostels, they are all booked six months in advance.

Description of the cathedral

Nidaros Cathedral is a mixture of medieval styles and traditions. Several times it was completed and restored after fires, and therefore managed to survive to this day in such good condition.

In the eleventh century, the cathedral looked like a simple basilica, a little later carved stone cornices were added to it. The nave is decorated with gargoyles, made in a rather realistic manner. To many, these stone sculptures still inspire horror. They are complemented by an intricate and whimsical pattern that turns this part of the cathedral into something absolutely fantastic.

The western pediment is fully consistent with the characteristics of the Gothic style. It is decorated with a high and narrow window, turrets and niches. Sculptures are located in each of the niches, they depict saints, apostles andheroes of the plots of the Old Testament.

The chapel of St. John is of particular interest to historians. It is located in the oldest part of the temple and has remained almost unchanged since its construction in 1161.

Interior decoration of the Cathedral

Despite the fact that many of the most valuable examples of medieval art were irretrievably lost, the Nidaros Cathedral is considered one of the most luxurious in Scandinavia. Here are collected unique stone statues and other items made by skilled craftsmen of the Middle Ages.

Many tourists look with awe at the organ located in the temple. Now there are two instruments installed here that sound great in pairs. Numerous parishioners and tourists from Trondheim flock to the cathedral once a week to listen to church singing during the liturgy.

The 14th-century marble altar is decorated with carvings depicting the life of St. Olave and his death. For tourists, the collection of tombstones is of interest. They contain not only inscriptions in various languages, but also portraits of the deceased.

If you find yourself in Trondheim, be sure to take the time to visit Nidaros Cathedral. In addition, one of its towers offers a simply magnificent view of the ancient and beautiful city.