Storkyrkan

Storkyrkan
Stockholms domkyrka Sankt Nikolai kyrka
East facade of Storkyrkan, facing Slottsbacken
59°19′33″N 18°04′14″E / 59.32583°N 18.07056°E / 59.32583; 18.07056
Location	Stockholm
Country	Sweden
Denomination	Church of Sweden
Previous denomination	Catholic Church
Website	Website of Storkyrkan
History
Status	Active
Founded	13th century[1]
Dedication	Saint Nicholas
Consecrated	1306[2]
Architecture
Functional status	Cathedral & Parish church
Specifications
Length	63 metres (207 ft)[3]
Width	37.2 metres (122 ft)[3]
Height	60.4 metres (198 ft) (to the top of the tower)[3]
Administration
Diocese	Stockholm
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Andreas Holmberg

Storkyrkan (Swedish: [ˈstûːrˌɕʏrkan], lit. 'The Great Church'), also called Stockholms domkyrka (Stockholm Cathedral) and Sankt Nikolai kyrka (Church of Saint Nicholas), is the oldest church in Stockholm. Storkyrkan lies in the centre of Stockholm in Gamla stan, between Stockholm Palace and Stortorget, the old main square of Stockholm. It was consecrated to Saint Nicholas in 1306 but construction of the church probably started in the 13th century. Inside, Storkyrkan still maintains much of its late medieval appearance in the form of a hall church with a vaulted ceiling supported by brick pillars. The exterior of the church is however uniformly Baroque in appearance, the result of extensive changes made in the 18th century. The church played an important role during the Reformation in Sweden as the place where Mass was celebrated in Swedish for the first time. It currently serves as the seat of the Bishop of Stockholm within the Church of Sweden since the creation of the Diocese of Stockholm in 1942.

Storkyrkan was for a long time the only parish church of Stockholm, and from an early date it was connected with the Swedish royal family. It has been the scene of historical events on numerous occasions, and was used as a coronation church for centuries. More recently, the wedding between Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling took place in the church in 2010. Military victories as well as national tragedies have been commemorated in Storkyrkan, and it is still used for funerals of public figures such as the writers Astrid Lindgren and Sara Danius.

The church contains several important works of art as well as elaborate furnishings, among these a late medieval sculpture of Saint George and the Dragon and Vädersolstavlan, a painting which shows one of the earliest images of Stockholm.