Stavanger Cathedral lies in the heart of the port city. According to tradition it was founded in the twelfth century, by Reinald, Bishop of Winchester. It was probably constructed by English craftsmen. The church has as its patron St. Swithun, and is thought to have possessed his arm as a relic. In the thirteenth century the church gained a Gothic chancel, following a fire which caused significant damage. Stavanger Cathedral is the the only intact medieval cathedral in Norway that has largely retained its original appearance and function.
