Linköping Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Linköping Cathedral |
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Linköpings domkyrka
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Linköping Cathedral from the east
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| 58°24′40″N 15°37′02″E / 58.41111°N 15.61722°E | |
| Location | Linköping |
| Country | Sweden |
| Denomination | Church of Sweden |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral & Parish church |
| Founded | 13th century |
| Dedication | Saint Peter |
| Consecrated | 1100s |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Number of spires | 1 |
| Spire height | 107 metres (351 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Linköping |
Linköping Cathedral (called Linköpings domkyrka in Swedish) is a very old and important church in Linköping, a city in Sweden. It's a Cathedral, which means it's the main church for the Diocese of Linköping within the Church of Sweden. This amazing building is one of the biggest Gothic cathedrals in all of Scandinavia! It stands right across from Linköping Castle. People have been using this spot for a church since the 1000s.
Contents
History of Linköping Cathedral
How the Cathedral Began
The church building you see today is about 800 years old. The story of churches on this spot started in the 1000s. Back then, there was a wooden church. Around 1120, a stone church was built. It was a basilica, about half the size of the current building.
By 1230, the stone church wasn't big enough anymore. So, people decided to build a much larger church. They added a new choir and transept to the east. These parts, built in the 1200s, are still part of the church today. The main altarpiece inside is also from this time.
Building the Main Church
The church got even bigger after King Valdemar was crowned in 1251. The main part of the building was constructed then. This is when the church reached its current length of 110 meters (about 360 feet). The tall tower reaches 107 meters (about 351 feet) into the sky!
In the early 1400s, between 1408 and 1420, beautiful Gothic chapels were added. These chapels have large windows and cool star-shaped ceilings called vaults. They were named after Saint Andrew (later renamed for Saint Mary), Saint Nicolaus Hermanni, and Saint Thomas Becket. During this time, skilled workers from England and Germany helped decorate the church. They created amazing sculptures, especially at the west end.
Fires and Rebuilding
The church's roof was damaged by fire two times, once in 1546 and again in 1567. The tower also needed to be rebuilt. This happened between 1747 and 1758, and then again from 1877 to 1886. In 1967, the roof was restored to look like it did in the 1600s. It's covered with copper sheets. Over time, the copper has turned a special green color.
Inside the Cathedral
Early Art and Decorations
Around 1320, artists started decorating the inside of the church. They carved designs and sculptures into the arches of the main hall, called the nave. These carvings look a lot like art from England during the High Gothic period. The carved decorations on the ceiling vaults, made around the same time, even include the "Green Man" from old British stories. Old English coins found at the site suggest that English artists worked here.
More decorations were added in 1330. The entrance on the south side, called the tympanum, was decorated with scenes from the Nativity (the birth of Jesus) and the Passion (the suffering of Jesus). These carvings were made in a German style.
Artworks Today
The cathedral has a very important altarpiece from the 1500s. It was painted by a Dutch artist named Maarten van Heemskerck. The painting is called Crucifixion and it's a polyptych, which means it has many panels. He started it in 1538 and finished it in 1542. It was first put in a church in Alkmaar, but because of the Reformation, it was later sold and ended up in Linköping.
In 2006, a British artist named Brian Clarke was asked to design six new stained glass windows. These windows are in the north and south entrances of the transept, which is the part of the church that crosses the main hall. There are three windows above each entrance. These beautiful windows were paid for by a special fund. They were installed in September 2010.
Important Burials
Many important people are buried at Linköping Cathedral. Here are some of them:
- John, Duke of Östergötland
- Bishop Kettil Karlsson Vasa, who was a leader of Sweden from 1464 to 1465
- Princess Maria Elizabeth of Sweden
- Bishop Nicolaus Hermanni
- Bishop Samuel Enander Gyllenadler
- Count Ture Nilsson Bielke and his wife Margareta Svantesdotter Sture
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de Linköping para niños
