Kalmar Cathedral, Lutheran cathedral in Stortorget Square, Kalmar, Sweden.
Kalmar Cathedral is a Lutheran church with baroque architecture and tall window openings, situated at Stortorget Square. The walls are made of Gotland limestone and topped by a copper roof without a dome.
Construction began in 1660 under architect Nicodemus Tessin the Elder and suffered interruptions from the Scanian War. The building was completed in 1703 after a lengthy process.
The cathedral's name comes from Karls domkyrka, given at its 1682 consecration because construction spanned the reigns of three Swedish kings named Karl. The three church bells in the southwest tower were cast in the early 17th century and moved here from the old medieval church. The north portal dates from 1834, while the south and west portals belong to the building period.
The cathedral stands on Stortorget on Kvarnholmen island, with entrances through portals on the north, south and west sides; the south and west portals date from the building period, the north portal from 1834. The west entrance faces the town hall across the square. The three church bells hang in the southwest tower.
The cathedral and town hall face each other across Stortorget Square, reflecting Renaissance planning principles from the city's redesign. This layout shows how the fortified settlement was deliberately arranged.
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