Bergen Cathedral
Encyclopedia
Bergen Cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Bjørgvin
. Located in the city centre of Bergen
, Norway
, the first recorded reference to it is dated 1181. It retains its ancient dedication to St Olaf .
During the reign of king Haakon IV of Norway
, a Franciscan
friary was established near the church, then known as Olavskirken, or the church of Saint Olaf, which was incorporated in it. The church burned down in 1248 and again in 1270, but was reconstructed after both fires. In 1463, it burned down again, but this time it was not reconstructed until the 1550s, despite being declared the cathedral in 1537.
After the fires of 1623 and 1640, Bergen Cathedral received its current general appearance. The steeple on the nave
was torn down, and the current tower was built. During the renovation in the 1880s by architect Christian Christie, the Rococo
interior was replaced to give the interiors back their former medieval appearance.
A cannonball from the 1665 Battle of Vågen
between the English
and Dutch
fleets remains embedded in the cathedral's exterior wall.
On March 18, 2007, Drone Metal
band Sunn O)))
recorded their live album Dømkirke
in the cathedral during the Borealis festival.
Diocese of Bjørgvin
Bjørgvin Diocese is a diocese in the Church of Norway. It covers churches located in the counties of Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane. The cathedral city is Bergen. Bergen Cathedral, formerly the Church of Saint Olaf, serves as the seat of the presiding Bishop...
. Located in the city centre of Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, the first recorded reference to it is dated 1181. It retains its ancient dedication to St Olaf .
During the reign of king Haakon IV of Norway
Haakon IV of Norway
Haakon Haakonarson , also called Haakon the Old, was king of Norway from 1217 to 1263. Under his rule, medieval Norway reached its peak....
, a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
friary was established near the church, then known as Olavskirken, or the church of Saint Olaf, which was incorporated in it. The church burned down in 1248 and again in 1270, but was reconstructed after both fires. In 1463, it burned down again, but this time it was not reconstructed until the 1550s, despite being declared the cathedral in 1537.
After the fires of 1623 and 1640, Bergen Cathedral received its current general appearance. The steeple on the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
was torn down, and the current tower was built. During the renovation in the 1880s by architect Christian Christie, the Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
interior was replaced to give the interiors back their former medieval appearance.
A cannonball from the 1665 Battle of Vågen
Battle of Vågen
The Battle of Vågen was a naval battle between a Dutch merchant and treasure fleet and an English flotilla of warships in August 1665 as part of the Second Anglo-Dutch War. The battle took place in Vågen , the main port area of neutral Bergen, Norway...
between the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
fleets remains embedded in the cathedral's exterior wall.
On March 18, 2007, Drone Metal
Drone metal
Drone metal is a style of heavy metal that melds the slow tempos and heaviness of doom metal with the long-duration tones of drone music...
band Sunn O)))
Sunn O)))
Sunn O))) is an American doom metal band known for its synthesis of diverse genres including drone, ambient, noise, and black metal. Supported by a varying cast of collaborators, the band has two core members: Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson .-History:Sunn O))) is named after the Sunn...
recorded their live album Dømkirke
Dømkirke
Dømkirke is a live album by Sunn O))), recorded at Bergen Cathedral in Bergen, Norway, during the Borealis festival. The album was pressed only on vinyl, never to be released on other formats, though it has now been made available for digital download direct from Southern Lord's webstore.It is a...
in the cathedral during the Borealis festival.