Skálholt

My program for today was large: it started with Skálholt and then followed the classic tourist tour known as the "Golden Circle".

Skálholt is a place of great historical importance in Iceland. From 1056 to 1785 it was an Episcopal see, ein Bischofssitz. There once was a monastery here and also the first school in Iceland. The introduction of Protestantism came here with a sword that chopped off the head of the reformation-resistant bishop Jón Arason whom we have met earlier in this blog.

At the end of the 18th century, the Bishop's seat and the school were moved to Reykjavik, and Skálholt was left vacated. This painting by John Cleveley shows Skálholt in 1772.

Konrad Maurer visited Skálholt on 29 July 1858.

The current church was built here in 1963, all in concrete and so quite modern in style. A big church (for Icelandic standards) with no town around it. Next to it, you can still see the foundation of the old church, a cemetery, and an archeological excavation site that shows where the old buildings of the monastery such as storage rooms, refectory, dormitory, and school once were.

A stained glass window in the modern church.