Medieval churches in Norway
Alstadhaug Church
Alstadhaug stone church was built during the 12th century (probably around 1180) and has been remodeled several times since then. The apsis was added around 1250 and the sacristy, the Maria chapel, around 1500. The porch dates from the 18th century. The present steeple was built in 1788. A major restoration took place in 1946-52.
Founded: c. 1180 |
Location:
Levanger, Norway
Høvåg Church
Høvåg Church was originally a 10m long stone church built around 1150. In 1767 it was enlarged and in 1831 a wing was added on to the north facing wall. The restauration was completed in 1831. The altar is a triptych from c. 1620. The pulpit was carved around 1660.
Founded: 1150 |
Location:
Høvåg, Norway
Fjære Church
Fjære church was built of stone in c. 1150. The most valuable detail is a finely sculpted head of a man in stone over the south door, dating from before 1150. The church's unique and beautiful baptismal font, in the High Gothic style from the Middle Ages. Olavskilden, a fountain associated with St. Olav the Holy. The Terje Vigen stone monument in memory of the brave men of the 1807–1814 war. The stone monument was erec ...
Founded: 1150 |
Location:
Grimstad, Norway
Gjerpen Church
Gjerpen church is one of the oldest churches in Norway. It is believed the church was consecrated 28 May 1153 to the apostles Peter and Paul. The church represents the Romanesque style with a cruciform plan after the later additions. The church was extended in 1781 and 1871. The new interior was made by Emanuel Vigeland (1875-1948), this includes the mosaic 'Den bortkomne sønns hjemkomst', glasspaintings, ...
Founded: c. 1153 |
Location:
Skien, Norway
Skjee Church
Skjee Church was built between 1190-1200. It has a Christ picture from 1692 and Renaissance style pulpit.
Founded: 1190-1200 |
Location:
Stokke, Norway
Vassås Church
Vassås Church was built around 1200 and enlarged in 1846.
Founded: c. 1200 |
Location:
Hof, Norway
Haslum Church
Haslum church was built in c. 1190 in Romanesque style. It is possible that it was built by Cistercian monks who also built Halvard Cathedral in Oslo. The original long nave was altered to cross shape in the 1200s. In 1300 there were 12 altars in the church. Haslum church was reconstructed in 1853 and restored to the medieval appearance in 1924. The wooden statues of the Virgin Mary and the Bishop are copies of medieval ...
Founded: 1190 |
Location:
Bærum, Norway
Reinli Stave Church
The Reinli Stave Church was built some time during the 14th century. It is the third church at the same location in Reinli. The first references made to a church at this location comes from Olaf Haraldsson who travelled through Valdres in 1023, and also visited Reinli. It is believed that there was a pagan temple at the same location before the first church, some time before 1000. Through radiocarbon dating, logs in the ...
Founded: 14th century |
Location:
Reinli, Norway
Heggen Church
Heggen Church was built in the 1200s. It was modified to the cross-shaped church in 1697 and enlarged in 1832 & 1878. The altarpiece and pulpit date from the late 1600s.
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Modum, Norway
Old Glemmen Church
Old Glemmen Church was built in the Romanesque style in the 12th century. It is the oldest building in Fredrikstad. The baptismal font, made of soapstone from Aremark, dates from ca. 1225. Figure of the apostle Thomas was made around 1450 and a christ figure in the 16th century. It is a remnant of a large crucifix, probably from Lübeck. Altarpiece dates from 1708, pulpit from 1731.
Founded: c. 1182 |
Location:
Fredrikstad, Norway
Tanum Church
Tanum church was probably built between 1100-1130 and enlarged in the early 1700s. The restoration took place in 1900s. In 1674, the Krefting family built a sacristy with burial chambers beneath it on the north side of the chancel. However, this soon became too small, and in 1713 a larger burial chapel was built on the north side of the church, wall to wall with the sacristy. In total, around 40 members of the family were ...
Founded: 1100-1130 |
Location:
Bærum, Norway
Fon Church
Fon church dates from the 1100s and is built in the Romanesque style. It has 130 seats. The current bell tower was erected in 1839. Fon church has a pulpit from 1603 and altarpiece from 1633.
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Revetal, Norway
Styrvoll Church
Styrvoll church was probably built between 1150 and 1200. The wooden porch and spire were added in 1870.
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Lardal, Norway
Haltdalen Stave Church
Haltdalen Stave Church was originally located in Haltdalen, but today it is on display at the Sverresborg museum in Trondheim. The church was probably built in the 1170s. The church on display is a rebuilt version of two churches from Ålen and Haltdalen. The western wall and the portal is from the old Ålen church. This is a single-nave stave church of the east Scandinavian-style, and it is the only one that is ...
Founded: 1170s |
Location:
Trondheim, Norway
Vestre Moland Church
Vestre Moland Church was built of stone in c. 1150 and thick walls are still a part of the nave. The church was mentioned in official documents in 1347. The original timber-work tower was added in the 1660s. Work on the sacristy was started in 1742. In 1797 extension side chapels gave the church a cruciform shape as it appears today.
Founded: 1150 |
Location:
Lillesand, Norway
Tjølling Church
Tjølling and Kaupang were one of the oldest and biggest Viking settlements in Scandinavia. The Tjølling Church, built in the early 1100s, had a connection to the Viking trading centre and ancient Huseby farm. The church was damaged by fire in 1360 and rebuilt. A rare earthquake damaged it again in 1750s. The restoration took place in 1762-1767 and the appearance was modified to the Rococo style. The altarpiece and pulpi ...
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Larvik, Norway
Kvernes Stave Church
From ancient times Kvernes has been of great religious and cultural importance at Nordmøre. The excavation of a white phallus stone, a sacred symbol of fertility, supports this fact. The stave church was built around year 1300 and has a rather large main nave (16×7,5 m) with external diagonal props supporting the walls. Several repairs/reconstructions have been carried out. In 1633 the stave-built chancelwas ...
Founded: 14th century |
Location:
Averøy, Norway
Søndeled Church
Søndeled Church was built around 1150 and restored in 1752, 1768 and 1921-1924. In 1752 it was bought by locals, enlarged and the tower was erected. The altar was made by Ole Nielsen Weierholt in 1788. The old altarpiece painting from c. 1650 is still located in the nave. The pulpit was carved in the 1800s.
Founded: 1150 |
Location:
Søndeled, Norway
Tingelstad Old Church
Tingelstad Old Church is a Romanesque stone church in Gran. Dendrochronological dating shows that parts of the timber within the church were felled between 1219-1220. The original name for this church was 'St. Petri Church', although presently it is called Tingelstad old church (Tingelstad gamle kirke) as it was replaced by a new church in 1866. The congregation also had a stave church (Grindaker stave church), ...
Founded: c. 1219 |
Location:
Gran, Norway
Hedrum Church
Hedrum Church was built of stone around 1100 and has 260 seats. The church has a rectangular nave, square choir and apse. Archaeological excavations show that the apse is added later. The structure was extended by four meters in 1666. The west part with the portal and door openings are from after the Reformation. Hedrum Church has a number of tombstones, which cover large parts of the floor of the church. Hedrum Church ce ...
Founded: c. 1100 |
Location:
Larvik, Norway