Tuesday 21 April 2009

ABC Wednesday, N for Nidaros Cathedral

 

 

 
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In June 2006, I was in Trondheim, Norway for the first time. Of course I wanted to see the Nidaros Cathedral and I took some photos. There was a guided tour, which I found most interesting. Here are some facts:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Nidaros Cathedral (Nidarosdomen), considered the most significant church in Norway, is located in Trondheim. It was the cathedral of the Norwegian archdiocese, from its establishment in 1152 until its abolition in 1537. Since the Reformation, it has been the cathedral of the Lutheran bishops of Trondheim or Nidaros. The architectural style of the cathedral is romanesque and gothic. It was an important destination for pilgrims coming from all of Northern Europe.

The first coronations of Norwegian kings took place in Bergen or Oslo. Nidaros Cathedral became the coronation church after 1400, but coronations were discontinued after the Reformation, when the union with Denmark was cemented. Coronations were resumed after the restoration of national independence in 1814. The constitution of 1814 stipulated that Trondheim Cathedral was to be the coronation church of the realm. The last coronation took place in 1906. Two years later, an amendment to the constitution did away with the provisions for coronations. Later monarchs have instead officially received the blessings of the Church in the cathedral. The royal regalia are kept there, since 2006 on public display.

The cathedral was thought to be erected directly over the burial site of King Olav Haraldsson, who was killed in the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030. King Olav was declared a saint one year and five days after his death, and pilgrims soon started flocking to Nidaros. Next time my post will deal with Olav Haraldsson.




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ABC is created by Denise Nesbitt.For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with "N".

45 comments:

Mariamellie said...

Dear Wil! you also post an early ABC.. =) I just did it. Btw, I wonder how lovely your life is that you travel a lot visiting so many interesting places..! =) and this church has stunning architecture I see. I heard the place is also a very nice spot in Norway. Ah.. btw, as I post N for Narcissus.. may I direct it to your post of the Narcissus flowers...? Thanks.. =)

Lakshmi said...

great pics..particularly liked the architecture..Im very fond of heritage and I like the way these monuments are preserved

Janice Thomson said...

Wow! That's a huge cathedral. What stunning architecture. Excellent photos and info Wil.

VALKYRIEN said...

I wouldn't know what Norway should do without you! You are a great ambassador for my country!

I have been to Nidar Cathedral, and it is a remarkable cathedral, with so interesting architecture. But I lost the photos from the visit - so I simply have to visit again.

Thanks so much for showing our pride amongst our churches!

Carol Murdock said...

Wil....this is just stunning! So old and such gorgeous architecture!
Now these were Artist who built this! Thank you for the photos and history lesson!
xoxo,
Carol

Vicki Lane said...

I love visiting cathedrals -- the feeling of vast space. And if a choir is practicing somewhere -- all the better!

Arkansas Patti said...

Absolutley beautiful cathedral. I can'tlook at something as grand as that with out wondering about the builders and how they did it with our all our current day equipment.
Amazing.
Thanks for the history lesson. Love to come here and learn.

Arkansas Patti said...

Try "with out" all our equipment.

Smart Mouth Broad said...

I was hoping to come up with some wonderful "N" words to comment. Nothing. I can't think of one. Great photos and your travels are always so interesting. I would love to travel with you.

Jeannette StG said...

Wow, amazing architecture - that is what got me interested in art history. What is even more amazing is how they built it back then, without all the tools we have now. I can't even imagine how much time it took for the craftsmen to build it, and sculpt.
thanks for sharing!

Bren Haas said...

Hello Wil - I may never in my live time be able to visit this beautiful chapel but your blog entry with breath taking photos has TAKEN ME there!
THANK YOU for sharing.

Miss_Yves said...

Une cathédrale très majestueuse...
(Merci de votre dernière visite.)

Gigi Ann said...

I liked the colorful coats of the visitors against the drab gray background of the building.

Rune Eide said...

Thank you for mentioning the most important architectural and historical building in Norway. I once read that it may be based on, and partly built by, the same people that erected the Durham Cathedral in England.

Brenda said...

The inside looks similar to a church we went to on Easter that our daughter was married in. Very interesting hearing this story and seeing the pictures.

Jeannette StG said...

Wil,
I added a pic of one of Kinkade's paintings to my post:), so you have some kind of idea about his style LOL

Renie Burghardt said...

Wow, what a magnificent cathedral, and the history behind it is most interesting, Wil. Simply beautiful, inside and out!

Renie

Cloudia said...

Wonderful!
Thank you, Wil
Aloha

Etje said...

Dat is een mooie kathedraal zeg,
had er wel al iets over gehoord
maar nog nooit gezien.

Groetjes

Sylvia K said...

Beautiful photos! Beautiful choice for today's N word. Always enjoy your photos and your posts! Thank you!

Jane Hards Photography said...

It is a most beautiful Cathedral and always so well rounded with the info. RuneE could be right about Durham, which I've been to and is very like this.

anthonynorth said...

I love these old cathedrals. I've been round so many in the UK. So full of splendour, culture and mystery.

FitFoodieMegha said...

Lovely shots! Gr8 architecture!

Arija said...

A beautiful cathedral with a very interesting history.

Elizabeth said...

Thank you for showing me a place I wouldn't otherwise see.
That's the pleasure of the internet --being shown new things by blogland friends.

penny said...

This church is magnificent, Wil. I enjoyed your informative journey, thanks.

Patty said...

Must have been a marvelous tour through the cathedral.

Lanny said...

Wow! Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos of the Cathedral! The interiour is as amazing as the outside. A wonder that it was built so long ago when the builders had no powertool or big equipment to help them.

Marina said...

I'm very impressed! This church is really huge. Beautiful and strange architecture, so different from ours...

Marina said...

PS: What a beautiful place to live? I'm talking about your previous post! I LOVE the plants and flowers you see everyday, the clean and perfect roads !

Tumblewords: said...

Beautfully designed arches - exquisite photos.

Rose said...

Beautiful! I don't think of cathedrals when I think of Norway, but it makes a little more sense when I realize this was built before the Reformation.

I am really looking forward to your next post! I attended St. Olaf College in Minnesota for my first two years of college, so St. Olaf was, of course, someone special to us "Oles." Of course, later I learned--if this is the same Olaf--that he converted his people to Christianity by threatening death to any non-converts. I'll be interested in learning the real history of the man.

Lanny said...

Hey thank you for the visit! UPS stands for United Parcel Service. Not the same as the US Postal Service. UPS is a private company not the goverment entity. They drive a brown box truck and deliver packages to my doorstep. But their ads say they're every where, are they really not in the Netherlands?

Sujata said...

Very nice post!

Etje said...

Heeft hier deze nacht ferm gevroren, straks eens op inspectie gaan in de tuin en hopelijk is er niet teveel vernietigd.
Dat het zonnentje maar vlug alles terug verwarmd.

Fijne donderdag

Carol said...

What a beautiful cathedral....and interesting info....

Bradley Hsi said...

What a beautiful church and interesting background. Amazing how it is still standing and serving its function after almost 1000 years.

Vamsee Modugula said...

Excellent snaps. Loved reading about the church. Great post.

Jay said...

What a gorgeously gothic cathedral! At least two 'N's in there, too!

spacedlaw said...

Nice pictures but I must admit my attention was sidetracked by the animals in the side bar... The photo of the sleeping cat and dog is way too cute.

Janie said...

Wonderful photos of the cathedral and fascinating history.

Barbara Martin said...

Very nice photos of the cathedral, Wil; and the narrative providing a new insight on its history.

Jeanette said...

Dear Wil, Absalutley beautiful photo's of Nidaros Cathedral and a little history to go with it .

LiBeReJo said...

beautyful pictures of an amazing cathedral! been there a few times myself:) it's amazing there:)

SandyCarlson said...

An amazing place. How those architects managed to make lacework of stone. So feminine yet so strong. I love it.