Overview
About Skálholt
A centre of church and learning
Ísleifur Gissurarson, consecrated in 1056, established Iceland's first episcopal see at Skálholt. It served the whole country until the northern see at Hólar was founded in 1106. Bishops, a school and successive large churches made the estate an important centre of literacy and authority. The relics of Bishop Þorlákur drew medieval pilgrims. After centuries of activity, the bishop's seat and school moved to Reykjavík in the late eighteenth century, reshaping Skálholt's national role.
The cathedral and what lies beneath
The present cathedral, designed by Hörður Bjarnason and consecrated in 1963, stands on a site occupied by earlier churches. Its stained glass is by Gerður Helgadóttir, while Nína Tryggvadóttir created the mosaic altarpiece. Excavations before construction revealed the stone coffin of Bishop Páll Jónsson, who died in 1211. The basement exhibition and remains of an underground passage connect the modern building with the medieval complex, making archaeology an essential part of understanding the place.
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