# Oslo founded (c. 1048)

URL: https://allhistories.com/norway/timeline/1048-oslo-founded
Location: Gamlebyen, Oslo
Themes: Key Events

According to the sagas, Harald Hardrada founded Oslo around 1048–1049 at the head of the Oslofjord, where he often stayed. A royal estate and St Mary's Church were built there in the mid-11th century, giving the king a base in eastern Norway close to Denmark, which he was trying to conquer. Around 1070 the town became the seat of one of Norway's first fixed bishoprics. Excavations have uncovered Christian burials and traces of settlement from before 1000, pointing to an earlier town, and for this reason Oslo celebrated its millennium in 2000. The medieval town lay in today's Gamlebyen district. Oslo became the chief royal residence under Haakon V around 1300 and is now Norway's capital.

## Why it matters
Oslo grew into the political centre of eastern Norway and eventually the capital of the kingdom and its largest city.

Ruler at the Time: [Harald III Hardrada](https://allhistories.com/norway/rulers/harald-iii-hardrada)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Oslo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo)
- [Wikipedia — Harald Hardrada](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_Hardrada)
- [Store norske leksikon — Oslo – historie](https://snl.no/Oslo_-_historie)
- [Wikipedia — The Early Kingdom (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Norway)