Kristianopel (originally founded as Christianople) was established by the Danish king Christian IV in 1603 as a fortress city and named after his newborn son - Christian, or Kristian, with Danish spelling. The Greek suffix '-opel' was given to give the town a cosmopolitan ring similar to Constantinople. Construction of the town was completed in 1606.
The first church was built in 1600, but burnt down only eleven years later by Swedish army. The current churc was built of stone between 1618-1624. The chandelier dates from the former Avaskär church. Tje pulpit dates from 1621 and altar 1624. There is also a royal chair of Christian IV (1635).
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Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.