Norway's oldest cathedral, founded around 1125 by Bishop Reinald, who may have come from Winchester in England. He brought with him a relic of St Swithun, the patron saint of Winchester Cathedral, and dedicated the new church to him. The city of Stavanger counts this as its founding year.
The original Romanesque church was damaged by fire in 1272 and rebuilt with a new chancel in the Gothic style. What you see today is this combination: the heavy Romanesque nave and the lighter Gothic choir. The cathedral has been in continuous use for 900 years.
A ten-year restoration completed in 2025 for the 900th anniversary cost over 30 million euros. The cathedral sits next to Byparken, the city park with a small lake, the train station on one side and the church on the other.
The original Romanesque church was damaged by fire in 1272 and rebuilt with a new chancel in the Gothic style. What you see today is this combination: the heavy Romanesque nave and the lighter Gothic choir. The cathedral has been in continuous use for 900 years.
A ten-year restoration completed in 2025 for the 900th anniversary cost over 30 million euros. The cathedral sits next to Byparken, the city park with a small lake, the train station on one side and the church on the other.