⛪ Skálholt

About This Sacred Site

Skálholt in southern Iceland was the seat of one of Iceland's two medieval bishoprics from 1056 until 1785 and was the country's most important cultural, religious, and educational center for over 700 years. The first Icelandic school was established here, and it was a center of manuscript writing and learning. The current modern church (1963) sits atop archaeological remains of medieval cathedrals. An underground tunnel leads to a crypt holding a medieval bishop's sarcophagus discovered in 1954.

Key Facts

• •Served as the seat of the Bishop of Skálholt from 1056 to 1785
• •Was the cultural and educational capital of Iceland throughout the Middle Ages
• •The first school in Iceland was established at Skálholt in the 11th century
• •A 13th-century sarcophagus of Bishop Páll Jónsson was discovered beneath the church in 1954
• •The modern church (1963) hosts a popular annual summer concert series

Location

Coordinates: 64.1294, -20.5292