Skálholt Cathedral

About Skálholt Cathedral

Skálholt was one of Iceland's two episcopal seats from 1056 to 1796 and the most important religious and cultural centre in Iceland for nearly 700 years. The current cathedral, completed in 1963, stands on the site of 11 previous churches, and the crypt contains the original 12th-century cathedral foundations and the ornate sarcophagus of Bishop Páll Jónsson (c.1195). The surrounding area includes a school, concert hall (famous for summer music festivals) and exhibitions on Iceland's medieval church history.