The Archbishop's Palace Museum

Together with Nidaros Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace holds a unique place in Norwegian history. The Archbishop’s Palace in Nidaros (later Trondheim) served as the residence of the Archbishop and as an administrative centre of Norway until the Reformation.

In 1983, two large wooden buildings at the Archbishop’s Palace were destroyed by fire. The Archbishop’s Palace Museum was built on the site of the fire, where extensive archaeological excavations were conducted over several seasons during the 1980s. A total of 120 archaeologists from 12 countries took part. These excavations are among the largest and most comprehensive ever carried out in Norway, resulting in approximately 160,000 artefacts and more than 100 building remains. Some of the finest and best-preserved objects from the excavations are on display in the museum.

The most remarkable discovery was a series of coin mints – three built one on top of the other. The lowest and best-preserved mint was found to have belonged to Archbishop Gaute Ivarsson. Today, the mint is displayed in the museum exactly as it was found and is the smallest and northernmost mint in the world.