Västerås Cathedral, the seat of the Diocese of Västerås, is a five-aisled hall church built in the Scandinavian Brick Gothic style. It features a copper-covered roof and a single west tower with side extensions and an obelisk-shaped, copper-clad spire. Originally a Romanesque basilica consecrated in 1271, the cathedral has undergone numerous extensions since the 1460s, reaching its present size in 1517.
The present Baroque spire from 1694 was designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger. The spire is built of oak, without iron beams or nails, and lined with copper. The cathedral also houses an impressive organ; while the current version contains 65 stops over four manuals and pedals, its basis is still the organ built in 1898. This 1898 instrument was the first large organ in Sweden to be built with tubular pneumatic action.
The cathedral houses the sarcophagus of Eric XIV, who was King of Sweden from 1560 until 1568. It also preserves the history of Johannes Rudbeckius, who served as bishop at Västerås from 1619 until his death. During the 1500s, 1600s, and 1700s, many fixtures within the interior were also changed.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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