St. Hallvard's Cathedral (''Hallvardskatedralen'') was the former Oslo Cathedral. It fell into disrepair in the 17th century and is today in

ruins Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...

. The site is located between Bispegata and St. Halvards gate in

Oslo, Norway 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 i ...

Summary

St. Hallvard's Church was the earliest cathedral in

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 cathedral was built during the early 12th century. Oslo was abandoned after a devastating fire in 1624 and the foundation of a new city, Christiania, about one kilometre further west. St. Hallvard's Cathedral was used as a church until about 1655. Besides being the bishop's seat and religious center of eastern Norway for about 500 years, the cathedral was the coronation church, royal wedding church,

chapel royal The Chapel Royal is an establishment in the Royal Household serving the spiritual needs of the sovereign and the British Royal Family. Historically it was a body of priests and singers that travelled with the monarch. The term is now also applie ...

, and one of

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

's most visited places of

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

. St. Hallvard cemetery is located mainly south of the cathedral. It was the honorary cemetery in Oslo and eastern Norway from around 1130 to 1639. Bishops and other prominent men and women were interred in the church along with Norwegian kings. First excavations of the ruins were conducted in 1865 by

Nicolay Nicolaysen Nicolay Nicolaysen (14 January 1817 - 22 January 1911) was a Norwegian archaeologist and Norway's first state employed antiquarian. He is perhaps best known for his excavations of the ship burial at Gokstad in 1880. Johan Adolf Gerhard Fischer (1890–1977) led the final stage of excavation. Parts of the ruins were removed by digging for a culvert for the

Østfold Line The Østfold Line ( no, Østfoldbanen) is a railway line which runs from Oslo through the western parts of Follo and Østfold to Kornsjø in Norway. It continues through Sweden as the Norway/Vänern Line. The northern half is double track and th ...

in between 1920 and 1922. The cathedral was the main attraction when Memorial Park in Old Town (''Minneparken i Gamlebyen'') opened in 1932. Neighboring the site of the former cathedral are the ruins of the

medieval 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, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

parish church, Holy Cross Church (''Korskirken'').

Prominent interments

* King

Sigurd the Crusader Sigurd Magnusson (1089 – 26 March 1130), also known as Sigurd the Crusader (Old Norse: ''Sigurðr Jórsalafari'', Norwegian: ''Sigurd Jorsalfar''), was King of Norway (being Sigurd I) from 1103 to 1130. His rule, together with his half-brothe ...

* King

Magnus the Blind Magnus Sigurdsson (c. 1115 – 12 November 1139), also known as Magnus the Blind, was King of Norway (being Magnus IV) from 1130 to 1135 and again from 1137 to 1139. His period as king marked the beginning of the civil war era in Norway, which las ...

* King

Inge I of Norway Inge Haraldsson (Old Norse language, Old Norse: ''Ingi Haraldsson''; 1135 – 3 February 1161) was king of Norway (being Inge I) from 1136 to 1161. Inge’s reign fell within the start of the period known in Norwegian history as the civil war era ...

Gallery

References

{{Authority control H Archaeological sites in Norway Ancient Cathedrals in Norway Cathedrals in Norway Former Roman Catholic cathedrals in Norway Oslo Old Town Hallvard's Hallvard's

Summary

Prominent interments

See also

Gallery

References