Korskirken

Bergen, Norway

Korskirken is located at the intersection of the streets Kong Oscars gate and Nedre Korskirkeallmenning and dates back to the latter half of the 12th century. The name of the church refers to the True Cross (and not to its cruciform plan), and is usually rendered in English as 'Holy Cross Church'. This is because it was, as one of only a Norwegian churches, in possession of a relic from the True Cross. This relic was later stolen by the Danish king, along with several other relics from all over the country, during the Reformation.

Korskirken was first mentioned in Sverris saga from 1185. At the time of construction, the church was situated on the shore of Vågen, probably marking the southern border of settlement in Bergen. Korskirken was damaged in the fires of 1198, 1248, 1413, 1582, 1623, 1640 and 1702; the church originally had two towers, but one was destroyed in the 1582 fire and never rebuilt. It was originally built with straight rectangular plan. The church got its cruciform plan when transepts were added around 1615-1623.

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Details

Founded: c. 1181
Category: Religious sites in Norway

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4.2/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Reza Bahadori (2 years ago)
Nice
Alvaro Born (4 years ago)
Satan is a liar! Hallelujah!
Jack Xia (4 years ago)
Shady alley streets of Bergen ?
Joe Shewmaker (5 years ago)
A beautiful church with a very rich history.
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