Landakotskirkja, Reykjavik
 Landakotskirkja is the Catholic cathedral of predominantly-Protestant Iceland. Photo: Sam Ragnarsson. |
Landakotskirkja (Landakot Church), formally named Basilika Krists konungs (Basilica of Christ the King) in Reykjavik is the Catholic cathedral of Iceland. It is often referred to as Kristskirkja (Christ's Church).
The first Catholic priests to arrive in Iceland after the Reformation were the frenchmen Bernard Bernard and Jean-Baptiste Baudoin. They bought the Landakot farmstead in Reykjavík in the early 19th century and built a small chapel there in 1864. A few years later, a small wooden church was erected by Túngata, close to Landakot.
After the First World War, the number of Icelandic Catholics was growing and there was a need to build a bigger church. They decided to build a Neo-Gothic church and entrusted the task to the modernist architect Guðjón Samúelsson (who also designed the Hallgrimskirkja). After years of construction, Landakotskirkja was finally consecrated on July 23, 1929. It was the largest church in Iceland at the time.
Today, Landakotskirkja remains a distinct landmark in western Reykjavík. It has a distinctively flat top in place of the standard spire. Because of the community's request for a Neo-Gothic church, it is more conservative in style than Samuelsson's other creations but still has glacier-inspired lines. On the grounds is the only Catholic school in Iceland, Landakotsskóli.
Location Map
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Quick Facts
| Names: | Landakotskirkja; Landakot Church; Basilika Krists konungs; Basilica of Christ the King; Kristskirkja; Christ's Church |
| Type of site: | Catholic cathedral |
| Dates: | Completed 1929 |
| Location: | Western Reykjavik, Iceland |
| Cost: | Free |
Sources
- Landakotskirkja - Wikipedia
