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Island of Sjaelland, County and City of Roskilde
Site number:
695
Type of site: Cultural
Date: 12-13th century
Date of Inscription: 1995
Location: Europe, Denmark, Island of Sjaelland, County and City of Roskilde
Video:
NHK World Heritage 100 series  
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Description: This was Scandinavia's first brick Gothic cathedral, built in the 12th and 13th centuries; it promoted the spread of this style throughout northern Europe. Since the 15th century this has been the Danish royal family’s mausoleum. Porches and side chapels were added to the building at the end of the 19th century. As a result it presents a visual synopsis of the development of European religious architecture. --WHMNet paraphrase from the description at WHC Site, where additional information is available.
  Roskilde Cathedral (Danish: Roskilde Domkirke), in the city of Roskilde on the Island of Zealand (Sjælland) in eastern Denmark, was the first Gothic cathedral to be built of brick and its construction encouraged the spread of this Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe. It was built during the 12th and 13th centuries, and incorporates both Gothic and Romanesque architectural features in its design. It was the only cathedral in Zealand until the 20th century. The cathedral's twin spires dominate the skyline of the town. Roskilde Cathedral has been the main burial site for Danish monarchs since the 15th century. As such, it has been significantly extended and altered over time as individual rulers have added multiple burial chapels. Following the Reformation in 1536, the Bishop's residence was moved to Copenhagen, and he from then on held the title Bishop of Zealand. Royal coronations normally took place in Copenhagen's Church of Our Lady or the chapel of Frederiksborg Palace. It is a major tourist attraction, bringing in over 125,000 visitors annually. Since 1995 the cathedral has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since 1987, the cathedral has been the home of one of Denmark's leading boys' choirs, the Roskilde Cathedral Boys' Choir. The choir, soon celebrating its 20th birthday, is a key resource in the parish youth work. All choristers go to normal school but meet up 2-3 times a week to rehearse. Every second year the choir travels abroad; destinations being as different as New Zealand, Scandinavia, England, Greenland, France and Canada. --Wikipedia. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
Source: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/695
Source2: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/695/video
Reference: 1. UNESCO World Heritage Center, Site Page.
 
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