Torpo Stave Church

Ål, Norway

Built in 1192, the Torpo stave church is the oldest building within the valley and traditional district of Hallingdal. The church was dedicated to Saint Margareta. The stave church was purchased by the municipality in 1875. It was initially planned to expand it with an annex to the east, but in 1879 it was decided instead to modernize the interior with new ceiling and gallery. Following protest from the Ancient Monuments Society, the municipality decided to build a new church on the adjacent property. The new church was built north of the old one with the two churches standing side by side.

The Torpo stave church is one of two stave churches that are signed by the their craftsmen, the other being the church at Ål. In both churches a runic inscription reads: Torolf built this church. The full runic inscription in the Torpo stave church, which is listed as N 110 in the Rundata catalog, reads: Þórolfr made this church. Ásgrímr, Hákon, Erlingr, Páll, Eindriði, Sjaundi, Þórulfr. Þórir carved. Ólafr.

References:

Comments

Your name

Website (optional)


Address

Torpovegen 36, Ål, Norway
See all sites in Ål

Details

Founded: 1192
Category: Religious sites in Norway

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.stavechurch.com
www.visitnorway.com
www.stavangertravel.com

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Hol Old Church (22,9 km)
Mo Church Ruins (47,3 km)
Lomen Stave Church (53,6 km)
Nore Stave Church (57,5 km)
Uvdal Stave Church (44,9 km)
Høre Stave Church (54,7 km)
Ulnes Church (42,9 km)
Slidredomen (49,6 km)
Hegge Stave Church (57,5 km)

User Reviews

Jakob De Vries (2 months ago)
Die Kirche ist wunderschön, nur wenn man hinein will soll man bezahlen. Ein Blick durch die Fenster genügt.
Inger Torunn Knutshaug Nygård (6 months ago)
Flott historisk grunn.
anastasia puppis (6 months ago)
Visita guidata incantevole, grazie a due giovani guide molto simpatiche disponibili e competenti. Atmosfera siggestiva. Ingresso 6€ a persona.
J O (13 months ago)
Unique, beautiful, simple. Well worth a visit to this and many of the other Stave churches.
Ching-Fung Lin (2 years ago)
A small, simple, yet unique historical church.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Top historic sights of Istria
Photo from Flickr, copyright Guido Rudolph

Historic Site of the week

Lübeck Cathedral

Lübeck Cathedral is a large brick-built Lutheran cathedral in Lübeck, Germany and part of the Lübeck UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1173 Henry the Lion founded the cathedral to serve the Diocese of Lübeck, after the transfer in 1160 of the bishop's seat from Oldenburg in Holstein under bishop Gerold. The then Romanesque cathedral was completed around 1230, but between 1266 and 1335 it was converted into a Gothic-style building with side-aisles raised to the same height as the main aisle.

On the night of Palm Sunday (28–29 March) 1942 a Royal Air Force bombing raid destroyed a fifth of the town centre. Several bombs fell in the area around the church, causing the eastern vault of the quire to collapse and destroying the altar which dated from 1696. A fire from the neighbouring cathedral museum spread to the truss of the cathedral, and around noon on Palm Sunday the towers collapsed. An Arp Schnitger organ was lost in the flames. Nevertheless, a relatively large portion of the internal fittings was saved, including the cross and almost all of the medieval polyptychs. In 1946 a further collapse, of the gable of the north transept, destroyed the vestibule almost completely.

Reconstruction of the cathedral took several decades, as greater priority was given to the rebuilding of the Marienkirche. Work was completed only in 1982.

The cathedral is unique in that at 105 m, it is shorter than the tallest church in the city. This is the consequence of a power struggle between the church and the guilds.

The 17 m crucifix is the work of the Lübeck artist Bernt Notke. It was commissioned by the bishop of Lübeck, Albert II. Krummendiek, and erected in 1477. The carvings which decorate the rood screen are also by Notke.

Since the war, the famous altar of Hans Memling has been in the medieval collection of the St. Annen Museum, but notable polyptychs remain in the cathedral.

In the funeral chapels of the southern aisle are Baroque-era memorials by the Flemish sculptor Thomas Quellinus.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2019 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.