If you’re traveling through the small town of Hólar in northern Iceland, you should stop by the the Auðunnarstofa or Auðun’s House. This is a replica of an ancient Icelandic house serves today as the Hólar Bishop’s Office.
Auðunnarstofa or Auðun’s House, the Hólar Bishop’s Office
Visitors can walk inside Auðunnarstofal, the house that served as Hólar’s official Bishop Office for about 500 years. This is a replica of the original structure that was built around 1315 and wasn’t taken down until 1810, which is a marvelous feat for a wood structure in this part of the world. At that time, the wood, which was still in good shape, was sold off.
The house is named after Auðun the Red who served as the bishop of Hólar between 1313 and 1322. The building of this house was chronicled in the 14 century Icelandic Laurentius’ saga. Today’s replica is located in a different location than the original, so as not to disturb the archaeological site under the footing of the original.
The replica you see today was hand-built from traditional tools with Norwegian wood after extensive research in 2002. The foundation of the house is made of Icelandic stone, some of which was mined from nearby Mount Hólabyrða. The construction was initiated by Bolli Gústavsson, who served as the Bishop of Hólar from 1991 to 2003.
See Also…
There is so much history within Hólar. Besides the Hólar Bishop’s Office, visitors can see the Hólar Cathedral, the statue and bell tower dedicated to Jón Arason, Nýibær (New Farm), and the statue dedicated to Iceland’s national saint, Guðmundur Arason.
Where is it Located?
Auðunnarstofal or the Hólar Bishop’s Office is located in the town of Hólar, Iceland, approximately 1 hour 30 minute drive from Akureyri.