Overview
About Hólar in Hjaltadalur
A centre of religion and books
The foundation of the northern bishopric made Hólar a major institutional centre. The bishops' sagas connect its establishment with the donation of land by the priest Illugi Bjarnason. Hólar also became an important location for Icelandic printing. Guðbrandur Þorláksson, bishop of Hólar, oversaw the first complete Icelandic Bible, published in 1584 and known as Guðbrandsbiblía. Religious learning and the production of books thus form closely related parts of the site's history.
The cathedral landscape
The present cathedral dates to 1763 and was designed by royal architect Laurids de Thurah. It uses red sandstone from nearby Hólabyrða and is described by the regional tourism authority as Iceland's oldest stone church. Inside, a partition separates nave and chancel, with a pulpit and carved altar furnishings. A separate tower commemorates Jón Arason, Iceland's last Catholic bishop before the Reformation. Around the cathedral, the Nýibær turf farmhouse adds another layer of building history to a place associated with both church institutions and everyday life.
Article reviewed .