The Bishop's Palace is the older of the two ruined palaces found in the centre of Kirkwall.
Situated a short distance to the south of St Magnus Cathedral, the palace was built in the mid-12th century for Bishop William the Old - a friend and crusading companion of Earl Rognvald Kolsson, the cathedral’s founder.
The palace was originally intended to provide accommodation for Bishop William and his entourage. So, shortly after the construction work on the cathedral began, the Bishop and his staff moved from their old seat of power in Birsay to their new home in Kirkwall.
At this time, it is likely that the palace conformed to the plan of a Royal Norwegian Palace - consisting of a hall, used for entertaining, and a tower house that formed the Bishop's private residence.
No comments:
Post a Comment