Skara Cathedral is a church with a long and dramatic history, which today offers a wide variety of services.
Opening-times for the 2024 season
June-August:
Daily open 9am-4pm
September-May:
Daily open 9am-6pm
Tel. Skara Cathedral 46(0)511-26528
For services and concerts see calendar.
Welcome to Skara Cathedral.
An old Cathedral for a New Millenium
The diocese of Skara is the oldest one in Sweden, and it was here that Christianity was first widely accepted. Favorably situated, the province of Västergötland had early contacts with missionaries, mainly from England and Germany. Skara was chosen as the seat of the bishop, probably due to the fact that this place was never a cult centre, nor did the king have any estate here. During the early Middle Ages though, Skara not only became the centre for the church, but also for the king´s power. In these days, Skara was a “big city”, boasting some 700 inhabitants.
The first cathedral known to us was inaugurated around 1150, but recent discoveries prove the existence of a church on this site as early as the 11th century.
The 13th century was a dynamic period in the bishop´s town, with extensive building projects. In this century, the Romanesque crypt was filled up, and work was started to rebuild the cathedral in the Gothic style. High free vaults, and large windows are typical of the Gothic building style, signs that are still characterizing the Skara cathedral.
Over the centuries, the cathedral was repeatedly plagued by fire, and submitted to occasional reconstructions, but it was the 16th century with the Reformation that saw the worst years for the cathedral. In the end of the 19th century the inhabitants in Skara started to realise what they had right in the middle of their town. A reconstruction under the architect Helgo Zetterwall was carried out. During this restoration, the church was given back its Gothic appearance and its famous spires.
Several Restorations
More than 50 years later the cathedral was once again restored. This time Ivar Tengbom was the architect. The present Baroque style altar was taken back to its original place and in this period, Bo Beskow started planning for the series of stained glass windows.
In 1999 the latest restoration was concluded. This time Professor Jan Lisinski and his assistants made their contribution to the cathedral. The Gothic interior has been emphasized, and the crypt has once again become a beautiful room for devotion.
A Unique Crypt
The medieval crypt in Skara is unique. After having been buried under stone and gravel for 700 years it was rediscovered in 1948. In the crypt precious relics were kept. It was also used as a burial site for bishops. Nine graves were found containing skeletons. In one of the graves there was also a chalice and a paten of silver. The chalice is known as “The Sune Chalice” because of the inscription it carries: “Sune made me”.
Bishop Brynolf
In the cathedral there is an altar named after Brynolf Algotsson, who was bishop in Skara 1278-1317. The altar table of ceramics was created by the artist Gunnar Nylund during the 1949 restoration. In the year 1304 the church obtained through the bishop its most valuable relic: a thorn from Christ´s crown of thorns. Through this precious relic the church became a destination for pilgrims throughout the Middle Ages. What later happened to the thorn is not known, but according to a legend it was bricked into one of the walls in the church during the Reformation, when the King Gustavus Vasa ordered the confiscation of treasures from many churches.
The Soop Mausoleum
A remarkable sight in the church is the Soop mausoleum, created by Pieter de Keyser in Amsterdam. Colonel Erik Soop was buried in an impressive pewter coffin in 1632. His widow Anna Posse payed for the monument. She is depicted together with him on top of it. The black marble mausoleum is guarded by the Roman gods of wisdom, Minerva, and warfare, Mars.
The cathedral “treasury”
In the cathedral there are many treasures, such as beautiful monuments, gravestones and stone relics. The cathedral also possesses chalices and chasubles from times long past. Some of these objects are, for practical reasons, not displayed in the cathedral. Most of them can however be seen at “Västergötlands museum” (The County Museum) or in “Skara Stift- och Landsbibliotek” (The County Library), both in Skara.
The Skara Missale
The book called the “Skara Missale” was used in mass throughout the Middle Ages. It is probably the oldest book ever written in Sweden.
The Stone Relief Pictures
South of the sanctuary there can be seen four stone reliefs from the mid-12th century. They are manifest remnants from the early Romanesque church.
Stained Glass Windows by Bo Beskow
The finest contribution from our own time to the cathedral are the stained glass windows in the sanctuary by the artist Bo Beskow. These were created between 1945-1976 in cooperation with the glazier Gustav Ringström. The series of windows gives us numerous stories from the Bible.
Brynolf´s Chasuble
The chasuble of Bishop Brynolf Algotsson (bishop 1278-1317), was woven in silk that was once purple, and it was adorned with 30 embroidered figures in silk and gold thread.
The Soop Chalice
The Soop chalice is a real masterpiece in the possession of the cathedral. It is made of pure gold and decorated with enamel and 60 diamonds. The chalice was donated 1636 according to the will of Colonel Erik Soop. It is accompanied by a paten of gold.
Adalvard´s Chalice and Sune Chalice
According to several sources, bishop Adalvard the Elder (died 1064), started building the cathedral in Skara, where he was to be buried. One of the oldest and most remarkable objects found in a Nordic grave is the small funeral chalice, some 2.4 inches (6 cm) high, which has belonged to the cathedral for a long time. When the crypt was discovered in 1948, another chalice was found. It is called the “Sune chalice”, since it has the text “Sune made me” engraved upon it in latin. The chalice is from the 12th century. Together with the Adalvard chalice, the Sune chalice are the oldest silver objects ever found in a Christian grave in a Nordic church.