Nidaros Cathedral
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Nidaros Cathedral (Nidarosdomen), considered the most significant church of Norway, is located in Trondheim. It was the cathedral of the Norwegian archdiocese, established in 1152. 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.
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[edit] Coronations
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.
[edit] King Olav
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.
[edit] Building and restoration
Work on the cathedral started in 1070 and was finished sometime around 1300. The cathedral was badly damaged by fires in 1327 and again in 1531. The nave west of the transept was destroyed and was not rebuilt until the restoration in early 1900s. In 1708 it burned down completely except for the stone walls. It was struck by lightning in 1719, and was again ravaged by fire. Major rebuilding and restoration of the cathedral started in 1869, initially led by architect Heinrich Ernst Schirmer, and nearly completed by Christian Christie. It was officially completed in 2001. Maintenance of the cathedral is an ongoing process.
[edit] Organs
Two large organs are installed in the Cathedral. The main organ was built by the Steinmeyer firm in 1930, and was erected in the north transept. It then had 125 stops. In 1962, the organ was heavily rebuilt and moved to the west nave. Many stops were removed; some of them were used to build a new choir organ. In 1993-1994, the old Baroque organ built by Johann Joachim Wagner in 1738-1740 was carefully restored by Jürgen Ahrend. It has 30 stops, and is located at a gallery in the north transept.
Today, the cathedral is a popular tourist attraction. Tourists often follow the historical pilgrim routes to visit the spectacular church.
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