Dómkirkjan í Reykjavík
Neoclassical Lutheran cathedral with a marble font carved in Rome by Bertel Thorvaldsen.
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About this audio guide
This guide to Domkirkjan i Reykjavik follows the marble baptismal font commissioned in 1822 from Bertel Thorvaldsen, the most celebrated sculptor of his day, who carved it in his Rome studio without ever sailing north to see the church it was meant for. It walks through the months of chisel work on its four relief panels, and the long sea voyage that carried the finished piece from the Italian port of Livorno to Copenhagen and on to Reykjavik, arriving in 1833 while the cathedral was still being enlarged to hold it. Look closely at the drapery and the angels' wings, all cut by hand a continent away.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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