San Giorgio Church at the site is documented since 775. In 1218, Franciscan friars erected a nearby monastery and were in possession of the church. But by 1254, they had moved to the convent and church of San Francesco. By 1429, this parish church was in a dilapidated state, and a major restoration, including present facade occurred in 1639.
An inventory of works in 1826 noted to right of nave an oil painting depicting a Nativity, by Giovita Bresciano, a pupil of Lattanzio Gambara. The main altarpiece depicted was by a young Gandini and two side-panels depicting St George and the Dragon and a Martyrdom of St George by Pompeo Ghitti.
In addition, in the chapels on the left of the nave, there was a Virgin with Saints Francis of Paola and Leonard, by Giovanni Battista Pittoni. A canvas depicting Vigin with Francis of Sales and St Catherine was attributed to Domenico Carretti. A Sacred Heart of Jesus was attributed to Antonio Dusi. A Dead Christ with St Charles is attributed to Savani. In the sacristy are some frescoes from the original romanesque church. Saint George and the Princess by Cicognara also originated in the church.
The church also contains 13th century frescoes including a Christ Pantocrater. The nave ceiling was decorated by Pietro Sorisene and Pompeo Ghitti with architectural decoration by Agostino Avanzo. The apse ceiling has a depiction of the Seven Angels of the Apocalypse by Ottavio Amigoni. The exterior of the apse still betrays the Romanesque architecture of the original church.
References:The stone church of Gamla Uppsala, built over the pagan temple, dates from the early 12th century. Due to fire and renovations, the present church is only a remnant of the original cathedral.
Before the arrival of Christianity in Sweden, Gamla Uppsala was the seat of Swedish kings and a ceremonial site known all over northern Europe. The settlement was home to royal palaces, a royal burial ground, and a great pagan temple. The Uppsala temple, which was described in detail by Adam of Bremen in the 1070s, housed wooden statues of the Norse gods Odin, Thor and Freyr. A golden chain hung across its gables and the inside was richly decorated with gold. The temple had priests, who sacrificed to the gods according to the needs of the people.
The first Christian cathedral was probably built in the 11th century, but finished in the 12th century. The stone building may have been preceded by a wooden church and probably by the large pagan temple.