Christ Church on Holmen (''Kristkirken på Holmen i Bergen'') was the main medieval era cathedral of

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula o ...

, Norway. Its site was near Haakon's hall (''Håkonshallen'') and Bergenhus Fortress (''Bergenhus festning'').

History

Christ Church was built by King Olav Kyrre during the period 1066–1093. In 1170 the relics of

Saint Sunniva Saint Sunniva (10th century; Old Norse ''Sunnifa'', from Old English ''Sunngifu'') is the patron saint of the Norwegian Church of Norway Diocese of Bjørgvin, as well as all of Western Norway. Sunniva was venerated alongside her brother Alban, w ...

were moved here from Selja and placed on the main altar. During Bergen's period as the capital of Norway in the 13th century, the area known as Holmen contained the royal residence in Bergen, as well as Christ Church, several other churches, the bishop's residence, and a Dominican monastery. Holmen and Christ Church formed the political centre of the country. The church itself was used for negotiations and the churchyard was used for hailing of kings and meetings of the realm. The first

coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of ot ...

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

was held in Bergen in 1163 and several

coronations A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of ot ...

were held in the church when it was finished. The kings were also married and buried in the church. In 1531, the church was levelled to the ground by order of Eske Bille who was Danish commander of Bergenhus Fortress from 1529 to 1537. A similar fate happened to the city's Apostel Church. Both churches and other buildings were removed in order to strengthen the defense of the city and port and with the consent of Bishop Olav.

Coronations

* Magnus V in 1163 or 1164 * Sverre on 29 June 1194 *

Haakon IV Haakon IV Haakonsson ( – 16 December 1263; Old Norse: ''Hákon Hákonarson'' ; Norwegian: ''Håkon Håkonsson''), sometimes called Haakon the Old in contrast to his namesake son, was King of Norway from 1217 to 1263. His reign lasted for 46 y ...

and Margaret Skulesdatter on 29 July 1247 *

Magnus VI Magnus Haakonsson ( non, Magnús Hákonarson, no, Magnus Håkonsson, label= Modern Norwegian; 1 (or 3) May 1238 – 9 May 1280) was King of Norway (as Magnus VI) from 1263 to 1280 (junior king from 1257). One of his greatest achievements was the ...

and Ingeborg of Denmark on 14 September 1261 * Eric II in 1280 * Margaret of Scotland in 1281

Burials

in 1170 * Sverre in 1202 * Haakon III in 1204 *

in 1263 * Margaret of Scotland in 1283 *

Margaret, Maid of Norway Margaret (, ; March or April 1283 – September 1290), known as the Maid of Norway, was the queen-designate of Scotland from 1286 until her death. As she was never inaugurated, her status as monarch is uncertain and has been debated by historian ...

, in 1290 * Eric II in 1299

References

External links

Østenfor Nordsjøen - vestenfor Langfjella
{{coord, 60.4003, N, 5.31671, E, source:kolossus-nowiki, display=title Cathedrals in Norway Churches completed in 1093 Churches in Bergen Ancient Cathedrals in Norway Coronation church buildings Tourist attractions in Bergen Former Roman Catholic cathedrals in Norway 11th-century Roman Catholic church buildings 11th-century churches in Norway