Storkyrkan, Stockholm

Storkyrkan is Stockholm’s oldest church, and the building before you is also the city’s cathedral. Its exterior presents a Baroque character, while the interior preserves the shape of a late-medieval brick hall, with vaults carried by brick pillars. That contrast is the key to this church: an eighteenth-century outer appearance surrounds a much older sacred space.

The church was dedicated to Saint Nicholas in 1306, although its construction probably began during the thirteenth century. It became the setting for Sweden’s Reformation-era shift to worship in the Swedish language, when Mass was celebrated here in Swedish for the first time. Since the Diocese of Stockholm was created in 1942, the church has served as the bishop’s seat.

Look at the sculpture group of Saint George and the Dragon inside. Created in the late Middle Ages, it is also a reliquary: relics were placed within Saint George’s chest when the work was inaugurated in 1489. Another notable work is Vädersolstavlan, a painting that preserves an early view of Stockholm.

The church has also hosted royal coronations for centuries, and in 2010 it held the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling. Its story is therefore carried both by the masonry around you and by the ceremonies held within it.