Stiftsgården — Timber Architecture for Royal Ceremony
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Transcript
Stiftsgården was completed in the late eighteenth century as a grand private residence and later became the royal residence in Trondheim. Its scale is striking because it is built largely of timber. That material was common in Norway, but here it was used for elite urban display rather than modest domestic construction. When Norwegian monarchs came to Trondheim for coronations and later consecrations, Stiftsgården became part of the ceremonial route linking city, palace and cathedral. The building shows how royal ritual survived political change. Norway moved through union with Denmark, union with Sweden and full independence, yet Trondheim remained one of the places where monarchy was publicly staged.