Skara

Skara was, according to local legend, founded in AD 988, making it one of the oldest cities of Sweden. At this time it was one of only two cities in what was to become Västergötland, the other being Lödöse, and Skara was the location for the regional assembly, the Thing of all Geats.

With the Christianization of Sweden Skara in 1050 AD became the seat for the bishop and a religious centre for the ensuing centuries. There has been bishops of Skara in an unbroken succession up to this day. 

Many important assemblies were held in Skara in the medieval times. For instance the important Swedish chancellor meeting in 1326 and a meeting of Swedish, Danish and Norwegian forced in 1458, decided upon the later Kalmar Union.

In the ensuing medieval centuries there were also monasteries and other churches completed in the town. The first monastery was for Dominican order, called the monastery of Saint Olof, it was opened in 1234; the other was of the Franciscan order, known as Saint Katherine (or Katarina in Swedish) can be attested the first time in 1259.

The foundations of the Skara Cathedral are believed to stem from around 1050. The current cathedral was inaugurated in 1150, but findings during the last 50 years show it must be at least a century older. Its current appearance, however, stems from renovations in the 1880s by Helgo Zettervall.