The Old Bishop's Palace in Oslo (''Oslo Bispeborg'') was the residence of the

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

bishops of

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

. The estate is located in what is now called

Gamlebyen The Old Town of Oslo ( no, Gamlebyen, ) is a neighbourhood in the inner city of Oslo, Norway, belonging to the borough of Gamle Oslo and is the oldest urban area within the current capital. This part of the capital of Norway was simply called ...

(old town) in

, Norway. Various remnants of the medieval bishop's original palace are still visible.

History

The construction was begun around 1210 by the then bishop,

Nikolas Arnesson Nicholas Arnesson (old Norse language, Old Norse: ''Nikolás Árnason'') (ca. 1150 – 7 November 1225) was a Norwegian bishop and nobleman during the Civil war era in Norway, Norwegian civil war era. He was a leader in the opposition against King S ...

, continuing through to the early 14th century. The palace built in stone replaced a previous bishop's residence built in wood, established in the 12th century. The main buildings were surrounded by tall walls, and from a tower, a wooden bridge connected the palace to the neighboring

Hallvards Cathedral St. Hallvard's Cathedral (''Hallvardskatedralen'') was the former Oslo Cathedral. It fell into disrepair in the 17th century and is today in ruins. The site is located between Bispegata and St. Halvards gate in Oslo, Norway. Summary St. Hal ...

. The palace was built like a fortified

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

. Together with the cathedral, the palace was not only a religious centre in

Middle Age In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

Oslo, it was also of significant political importance. The first agreement of union between Norway and Sweden was signed in the bishop's palace just after the death of

Håkon V of Norway Haakon V Magnusson (10 April 1270 – 8 May 1319) ( non, Hákon Magnússon; no, Håkon Magnusson, label=Modern Norwegian) was king of Norway from 1299 until 1319. Biography Haakon was the younger surviving son of Magnus the Lawmender, Kin ...

, in 1319. The palace was damaged after Swedish attacks in 1523, and after the

reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

in 1537 large parts of the palace were torn down. In 1554 the Protestant bishop moved to the current bishop's residence in Oslo, a former monastery. In 1579 the then mayor of Oslo, Christen Mule, built a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

building on the ruins of the previous bishop's palace, and in this building King

James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until hi ...

married

princess Anne of Denmark Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...

on November 23, 1589. After a fire in 1722, the current manor house (''

Oslo Ladegård Oslo Ladegård is a manor house situated at Gamlebyen in Oslo, Norway. It was built of the site of the Old Bishop's Palace in Oslo. The current building was erected in 1725 by Karen Toller. The architectural style is classic baroque, with a hi ...

'') was erected by

Karen Toller Karen Toller (1662 – 13 August 1742) was a Norwegian estate owner and ship owner. She was born in Tønsberg; the daughter of Niels Toller (c.1624–1676) and Kirsten Andersdatter Tonsberg, and a granddaughter of merchant and Mayor of Chr ...

on the site in 1725. Oslo Ladegård was built in classical

Baroque architecture Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style which appeared in Italy in the early 17th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means t ...

style on the foundation of former Bishop's Palace. Today the manor house is used by the City of Oslo as a museum and concert hall.

References

External links

Oslo ladegård website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Old BiShop'S Palace In OSlo Palaces in Norway Castles in Norway Buildings and structures in Oslo Houses completed in 1725 1725 establishments in Norway Oslo Old Town Episcopal palaces