Overview
About Reykjavík Cathedral
From Skálholt to Reykjavík
The cathedral followed the transfer of the southern bishop's seat from Skálholt to Reykjavík. Its oldest portion was built between 1788 and 1796 to a design by the Danish court architect Andreas Kirkerup. Architect Laurits Albert Winstrup designed a substantial enlargement and remodelling carried out in 1847–1848. The protected building therefore combines an eighteenth-century foundation with a nineteenth-century form. It has served both as a cathedral and as a parish church for the town.
A place in parliamentary ceremony
The cathedral is closely associated with the opening of Alþingi. The tradition of a service before the parliamentary session dates to the restoration of the assembly in Reykjavík in 1845. Parliament's historical account describes members attending worship before proceeding to the assembly hall. This ceremonial link gives the small church a national role alongside its local religious life and helps explain its close association with the neighbouring Parliament House.
Article reviewed .
