Archbishop's Palace, Trondheim
Bygget rundt 1160 er Erkebispegården en av Skandinavias eldste verdslige steinbygninger — i århundrer sete for erkebiskopen av Nidaros, i dag hjem for Norges kroningsregalier og tre museer.
History
The Archbishop's Palace is Scandinavia's oldest secular building, with parts dating back to the 1100s. It was the archbishop's residence and center of power in the Middle Ages.
The excavations in the 1990s were the largest archaeological digs ever conducted in Norway — 120 archaeologists from twelve countries recovered 160,000 artifacts and the remains of approximately 100 buildings beneath the Archbishop's Palace. Among the finds was the archbishops' mint, the only intact medieval mint workshop in the world, displayed in situ exactly as it was found.
People
Archbishop Øystein Erlendsson (c. 1120–1188), Archbishop of Nidaros from 1157, had the stone hall in the north wing built — a structure that still stands, albeit restored. After a stay in England, he introduced the Gothic pointed-arch style to Norway and is considered the founder of Nidaros Cathedral in its current form. Of the 27 archbishops of Nidaros between 1153 and 1537, he is the only one venerated as a saint after his death.
Olav Engelbrektsson (c. 1480–1538) was the last Catholic Archbishop of Nidaros. He built substantial parts of the Archbishop's Palace as it stands today, and fled Trondheim on April 1, 1537 when the Reformation was imposed — taking with him the cathedral's archive and valuables. He died in exile in Lier in Brabant (present-day Belgium) in 1538.
The Archbishop's Palace houses three museums: the Archbishop's Palace Museum with original medieval sculptures from the cathedral and the world's only preserved mint workshop from the Middle Ages (dated c. 1500, excavated 1991), the Royal Regalia Exhibition displaying Norway's crown jewels including the crown and orb from King Haakon VII and Queen Maud's coronation in 1906 (permanent exhibition since 2006), and Rustkammeret (the Armoury) — one of Norway's oldest museums, founded in 1826 as 'The Historical Armoury' — covering military history from the Viking Age through World War II.
Øysteinsalen (Øystein's Hall) and Herresalen (the Lords' Hall) inside the Archbishop's Palace serve as concert and event venues. Herresalen is described as Europe's oldest representational hall still in active use. During Olavsfestdagene (Olavsfest) every July–August, the courtyard (Borggården) becomes an outdoor concert stage, and the Archbishop's Palace serves as a central hub for the festival featuring a historical market, theatre, and concerts.
Café To Tårn is located in the Nidaros Cathedral Visitor Centre at Bispegata 5, immediately adjacent to the Archbishop's Palace. The café serves lunch, sandwiches, cakes, and pastries with a view of Nidaros Cathedral, and can be combined with conferences and events in the Archbishop's Palace halls.
Architecture
In the medieval hall, a shaft channelled warm air up to an opening in the wall directly behind the archbishop's seat — an early heating system that kept the bishop warm while guests froze in the uninsulated stone hall. A small staircase and door in the corner of the central hall led to the archbishop's private chambers, and a covered bridge is believed to have once connected the palace directly to the cathedral's west front tower.
The complex encompasses buildings from four eras: medieval (1100s), renaissance, baroque and newer additions. The ruins in the basement are among Norway's best-preserved medieval ruins.
Location
The Archbishop's Palace is a stone castle complex of approximately 100 by 100 metres situated immediately south of Nidaros Cathedral, between the cathedral and the river Nidelva. The complex has an L-shaped floor plan where the north and west wings form the main structure, while a wall encloses the remaining two sides. It is located in the heart of Trondheim's city centre, within walking distance of the main square (Torvet), Bakklandet, and the Old Town Bridge (Gamle Bybro).
The Borggården (courtyard) of the Archbishop's Palace is a large, square-shaped yard enclosed by the building wings on the north and west sides and a wall on the remaining two sides. The space is freely accessible and sits between Nidaros Cathedral and the river Nidelva — visitors can enter through the vaulted stone portal from the cathedral square or from the riverside. The courtyard provides a quiet respite in the heart of the city centre.
Houses the Rustkammeret (weapons museum) and the Archbishop's Palace Museum. A combination ticket with Nidaros Cathedral gives the best value.
Opening Hours
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Thursday: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Friday: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Saturday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Sunday: 12:00 – 4:00 PM
Local Tip
Gårdsplassen er fritt tilgjengelig og gir et rolig pusterom rett ved Nidarosdomen, mens museene innenfor rommer alt fra originalskulpturer til militærhistorie.
