Bispegata, Trondheim, Norway
Nidaros Cathedral
The northernmost medieval cathedral in the world, built over the burial site of St. Olav in Trondheim, Norway — once the greatest pilgrimage destination in Scandinavia and now a national landmark where Norwegian kings are consecrated.
Nidaros Cathedral stands at the end of a pilgrimage road. St. Olav, the king who brought Christianity to Norway, was killed in battle at Stiklestad in 1030, and his body was brought to Trondheim and buried on the banks of the River Nid. Miracles were reported at his grave, and a succession of churches was built over the site, culminating in the great Gothic cathedral begun in the twelfth century. For four hundred years it was the most important pilgrimage site in northern Europe — the Santiago de Compostela of Scandinavia. The western facade, heavily restored in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, is covered in sculptured figures of saints and prophets in the style of English Gothic cathedrals like Lincoln and Wells. The interior is stone and relatively dark, with a long nave, a transept, and an octagonal chapter house over the original burial site of St. Olav. A well in the floor of the octagon marks the spot where the saint's body was first interred. The Reformation ended Catholic worship here in 1537, but Norwegian kings are still consecrated in this building, and the modern revival of the St. Olav's Way pilgrimage route has brought walkers back to the cathedral from across Europe.
Diocese: Diocese of Nidaros (Church of Norway)
Style: Romanesque and English-influenced Gothic
What to See
The octagonal chapter house is the spiritual heart of the building — stand over the well that marks St. Olav's original burial place. The western facade is best seen in the afternoon light; study the rows of sculptured figures, which include biblical prophets, Norwegian saints, and allegorical virtues. Inside, the nave is long and somewhat austere, stripped of its medieval furnishings by the Reformation. The rose window in the west end is modern but beautiful. The Archbishop's Palace museum next door has medieval artifacts from the cathedral, including carved stones and fragments of the original decoration.
Pilgrim Notes
Trondheim is reachable by train from Oslo — a scenic seven-hour ride through the Norwegian mountains. The cathedral is in the center of the old city, walkable from everywhere. The St. Olav's Way pilgrimage route from Oslo to Trondheim has been revived and can be walked in about a month; arriving at Nidaros on foot is the traditional way to end the pilgrimage. There is a small but active Catholic parish in Trondheim. The feast of St. Olav on July 29 is celebrated in Trondheim with a festival that includes services at the cathedral.