View source for Diocese of Sigtuna

{{Short description|Former Catholic diocese in Sweden}}
{{Infobox diocese
| jurisdiction      = Diocese
| name              = Diocese of Sigtuna
| latin             = <!-- Latin name of the diocese (or archdiocese) -->
| local             = Sigtuna stift
| image             = Church_Sigtuna.JPG
| image_size        = 200px
| image_alt         = 
| caption           = Ruins of the Church of Saint Peter in [[Sigtuna]].
| coat              = <!-- Coat of arms file name (excluding File: prefix) -->
| coat_size         = 
| coat_alt          = 
| flag              = <!-- Flag file name (excluding File: prefix) -->
| flag_size         = 
| flag_alt          = 
<!---- Locations ---->
| country           = [[Sweden]]
| territory         = 
| province          = <!-- Ecclesiastical province -->
| metropolitan      = 
| archdeaconries    = 
| deaneries         = 
| subdivisions      = 
| headquarters      = [[Sigtuna]], [[Uppland]]
| coordinates       = <!-- Use {{coord}} -->
<!---- Statistics ---->
| area_km2          = <!-- Area in square kilometers, automatically converted -->
| area_sqmi         = <!-- Area in square miles, automatically converted -->
| area_footnotes    = 
| population        = 
| population_as_of  = 
| catholics         = <!-- Number of Catholics in the diocese -->
| catholics_percent = 
| parishes          = <!-- Number of parishes in the diocese -->
| churches          = <!-- Number of churches in the diocese -->
| congregations     = <!-- Number of congregations in the diocese -->
| schools           = <!-- Number of church supported schools in the diocese -->
| members           = <!-- Number of members in the diocese -->
<!---- Information ---->
| denomination      = [[Catholic Church]]
| sui_iuris_church  = <!-- sui iuris Church, e.g., [[Latin Church]] or [[Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church]] -->
| rite              = [[Roman Rite]]
| established       = Ca 1060s
| dissolved         = 13th century
| cathedral         = <!-- Cathedral that serves as the seat of the diocese -->
| cocathedral       = 
| patron            = <!-- Patron saint(s) of the diocese (or archdiocese) -->
| patron_title      = <!-- Use to override the default label "Patron saint" -->
| priests           = <!-- Number of priests in the diocese -->
| language          = 
| calendar          = 
| music             = 
<!---- Current leadership ---->
| parent_church     = 
| pope              = 
| patriarch         = 
| major_archbishop  = 
| bishop            = <!-- Name and title of the current ordinary of the diocese -->
| bishop_title      = <!-- Type of ordinary: i.e. Bishop or Archbishop. Default is Bishop -->
| metro_archbishop  = <!-- Name of the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province -->
| coadjutor         = 
| suffragans        = <!-- List most senior first (usually reckoned by date of consecration); use | suffragan = for one -->
| auxiliary_bishops = <!-- List most senior first (usually reckoned by date of consecration) -->
| apostolic_admin   = 
| vicar_general     = 
| episcopal_vicar   =
| judicial_vicar   =
| archdeacons       = <!-- List most senior first (usually reckoned by date of first collation); use | archdeacon = for one-->
| emeritus_bishops  = <!-- List most senior first (usually reckoned by date of consecration) -->
<!---- Map ---->
| map               = 
| map_size          = 
| map_alt           = 
| map_caption       = 
<!---- Website ---->
| website           = <!-- [http://example.com example.com] -->
| footnotes         = 
}}

The '''Diocese of Sigtuna''' was a [[Catholic]] [[diocese]] founded in [[Sigtuna]], [[Sweden]], established in the mid 11th century. At the time, the town of Sigtuna, situated to the north of lake [[Mälaren]] and to the south of [[Uppsala]] in the Swedish province of [[Uppland]], had been the centre of royal power for some decades, and existed until the middle of the 12th century. It was eventually out-competed by the earlier pagan religious centre [[Gamla Uppsala]] (Old Uppsala), which was raised to the status of [[archbishopric]] in 1164 (see: [[Archdiocese of Uppsala]]). King [[Stenkil]] (about 1030-1066) is said to have been the driving force behind its establishment. First [[bishop]] is said to have been [[Adalvard the Younger]] (died before 1072).

Five Sigtuna bishops are known from written sources, four diocesan bishops, but it seems that apart from Adalvard most were not stationed in Sigtuna and episcopal Sigtuna was mostly unoccupied. Approximately in 1120, the Diocese of Sigtuna was indicated but not of that of Uppsala.<ref>Florenslistan över den kyrkliga stiftsindelningen i Norden circa 1120</ref> Uppsala diocese was formed, however, in the 1130s while Sigtuna ceased to have its own bishop. The Diocese of Sigtuna formally ceased at latest when the [[Diocese of Uppsala]] was elevated to [[archbishopric]] in 1164.

== History ==

In the middle of town Sigtuna there was a royal estate on which the first stone church in the area around lake Mälaren was built in the end of the 11th century. The bishopric of Sigtuna was established with [[Adalvard the Younger]] around 1060, as the first one in [[Svealand]]. The above-mentioned stone church was the bishop's church, the [[cathedral]]. It was demolished during the [[high Middle Ages]], but the remains of the walls are preserved below ground. The plot is now occupied by the [[Sigtuna Museum]]. The contemporary significance of the town was testified by [[Adam of Bremen]], who in circa 1070 refers to Sigtuna as a "civitas magna".<ref name="Swedish encyclopaedia">[https://archive.today/20150106032949/http://svenskuppslagsbok.se/scans/band_25/1091_1092-0046.jpg Swedish encyclopaedia, tapes 25 cr. 1091 (Sigtuna)]</ref>

During the [[early Middle Ages]] no less than six or seven stone churches were erected with surrounding cemeteries. All but the cathedral was laid along a newly built street outside the old settlement area. Of these churches, only remnants of the churches of Saint Peter, Saint Lawrence and Saint Olaf remain left as ruins. Of the other ones, nothing appears above ground.

King [[Gustav I of Sweden]] allowed to use the stones from the ruins for the construction of [[Svartsjö Palace]]. In contrast, King [[John III of Sweden]] later commanded the ruins to be preserved.<ref>NH Sjöborg, '' Collections of the Nordic region's ancient lover, I-III, 1822-1830 ''. The publishing Rediviva: Stockholm, 1978, p. 28</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Sankt Lars kyrkoruin ext1.jpg|The ruins of the Church of Saint Lawrence in Sigtuna, located along Prästgatan. Few remnants remain. The church was constructed in connection with the [[Christianization]] of Sweden in the 12th century.
File:St Olofs kyrka Sigtuna.JPG|The ruins of the Church of Saint Olaf are relatively well preserved. The church has been linked to the cult of the Norwegian saint King [[Olaf II of Norway]], who traveled through Sigtuna several times in the early 11th century.
File:Church Sigtuna.JPG|The ruins of the Church of Saint Peter are located to the west of the medieval city center. The church is considered to have served as the cathedral of the diocese before moving to [[Old Uppsala]] in 1190.
File:U395.jpg|Sigtuna mentioned on [[rune stone]] now exhibited in Sigtuna Museum. Dated to approximately 1100.
File:Runsten, Sigtuna (2).JPG|Rune stone previously located in the foundation of the north wall of the ruins of the monastery of Saint Lawrence.
File:U 389, Sigtuna 2.jpg|Rune stone now located along Storgatan street in Sigtuna. The runestone was found immured in a cellar close the ruins of the Church of Saint Lawrence.
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[St. Mary's Church, Sigtuna]]

==References==
<references />
* ''[[Nordisk familjebok]]'', 2nd ed., vol. 25 (1917), [https://runeberg.org/nfce/0247.html col. 454 f]
* http://www.ne.se/lang/uppsala-stift
* {{runeberg|url=https://runeberg.org/nfce/0247.html|chapter=Sigtuna|title=[[Nordisk familjebok]]|edition=2nd|date=1917}}

== Further reading ==
*Hedberg, B. 2007. Uppsala stifts herdaminne. Från missionstid till år 1366. Band IV:1. Stiftshistoriska kommittén i Uppsala.
*Hallencreutz, C. F. 2001. Vem var den gårfulle Sigtunabiskopen? Det stiftshistoriska perspektivet. – I: Tesch, S & Edberg, R. (red.), Biskopen i museets trädgård. En arkeologisk gåta.  Sigtuna Museers skriftserie 9. 
*Adam av Bremen. Historien om Hamburgstiftets och dess biskopar. Proprius förlag 1984. Med kommentarer av bl a Carl Fredrik Hallencreutz.

{{coord missing|Sweden}}
{{Catholic Church in Sweden}}
{{Catholic dioceses in the Nordic countries}}
[[Category:Former Catholic dioceses in Sweden|Sigtuna]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic dioceses established in the 11th century]]
[[Category:11th century in Sweden]]
[[Category:Sigtuna Municipality]]
[[Category:History of Stockholm]]
[[Category:12th-century disestablishments]]