Construction of Nidaros Cathedral

Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim is the northernmost medieval cathedral in the world and Norway's most important Gothic building. It was built over the grave of King Olav II Haraldsson, who died at the Battle of Stiklestad and was later canonized as Saint Olav, making the site the destination of pilgrims from across northern Europe. Construction began in the Romanesque style in the eleventh century, and went on for generations, with the splendid Gothic octagon and nave added in the thirteenth century. The cathedral was damaged by fires and neglected after the Reformation, and large parts were rebuilt from the nineteenth century onward. Norwegian monarchs are blessed there, and it is the seat of the Bishop of Nidaros.

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