Riddarholmskyrkan (Riddarholmskyrkan) description and photos - Sweden: Stockholm (Topic)

Riddarholm Church (Riddarholmskyrkan) description and photos - Sweden: Stockholm. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Riddarholmskyrkan.

Photo and description

Medieval Riddarholm Church is the main burial vault of Swedish monarchs. It is located on the eponymous island of Riddarholmen (translated as "Island of the Knights"), not far from the Stockholm Royal Palace. The congregation was disbanded in 1807 and today the church is used only for burials and memorial services, as well as a museum, a historical monument and a place for exhibitions and other events. Swedish monarchs found their last resting place here, from Gustav Adolf (d. 1632) to Gustav V (d. 1950), with the exception of Queen Christina, who rests in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The earliest burials belong to Magnus III (d. 1290) and Charles VIII (d. 1470).

The church building is one of the oldest in Stockholm, some parts of it have survived to this day, dating back to the end of the 13th century, when the Franciscan monastery of Greyfriars was located here. After the Reformation, the monastery was closed and turned into a Protestant church.

The church consists of three naves, built in the Gothic style, but the brick building did not immediately acquire its modern look. The original design of the spire of the building was developed by Willem Boeh and erected to its rightful place during the reign of Johan III (1537-1592), however, already in 1835 it was destroyed by a lightning strike and was replaced by a cast-iron spire, which has survived to this day. It was during the reign of Johan III that the Riddarholm church experienced the highest dawn and acquired its magnificent decoration.

Within the walls of the church you can see the coats of arms of the Knights of the Order of Seraphim. If one of the knights of the order dies, then his coat of arms is hung in the church, and on the day of the funeral, the bell rings for an hour.

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Topic: Riddarholmskyrkan (Riddarholmskyrkan) description and photos - Sweden: Stockholm.