The oldest part of this distinctive church – The Church of Our Lady – was erected in the 12th century. It is the third largest extant medieval church in Norway. After the Reformation in 1536 the church was expanded, and parts of the original brickwork are well preserved. The victim of many fires, it was restored in 1739, but parts of the walls are obviously much older. The first tower of the church was built around 1640, but the current tower was built in 1742 and the spire was erected in 1779. However, the eastern part of church is identical to the “Church of Our Mary” from the end of the 12th century.
The present altarpiece, made between 1742 and 1744 by Heinrich Kühnemann, was originally intended for the Octagon in the Nidaros Cathedral. After about ninety years in the Octagon, the colorful altarpiece went out of style, and in 1837 it was donated to The Church of Our Lady. The empty tombs below the church are very elaborate and referred to as “Trondheim’s catacombs”. On the church wall you can see Runes which were etched into the stone 800 years ago.