In 1056, Bishop Ísleifur established his episcopal see at Skálholt. For the next three hundred years, this became the center of Iceland’s Christianity. In 1550, Catholicism was ousted during the Reformation and Bishop Jon Arason was beheaded. Thereafter, it served Lutheran bishops until 1801. The surrounding area was one of Iceland’s largest and wealthiest towns. Today, the Skálholt Cathedral – built in 1963 – stands among the mostly unexcavated ruins. Several relics are on display, including a sarcophagus from 1211. This turf house named Þorláksbúð is a reproduction of how the community’s buildings once appeared.
