Voss Church, Voss, Norway - SpottingHistory

Voss stone church was built in 1277 and it seats about 500 people. The site of the present church may once have been occupied by a heathen temple. In 1023, King Olaf Haraldsen visited Vossevangen to convert the people to Christianity. Tradition says that he built a large stone cross at the site, which was probably the first Christian place of worship at Voss and it became the main church for Hordafylket during the middle ages.

The first church here was build of wood, but it was replaced by a stone church in 1277. In a royal letter dating from 1271, King Magnus Lagabøte expressed his satisfaction that the parishioners were going to replace the wood building with a stone one, and he urges the continuation and completion of this task. When it was finished in 1277, the church was dedicated to Saint Michael.

References:

Wikipedia

Address

Uttrågata 5, Voss, Norway

See all sites in Voss

Details

Founded: 1271-1277
Category: Religious sites in Norway

More Information

www.visitvoss.no
www.bergen-guide.com
en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

Emmanuel LEGROS (2 years ago)
Vangskyrkja Voss is a nice 13th century church with its attached traditional graveyard. More pictures of our roadtrips in Hordaland (Norway) and in the World on my Insta : manu_arcueil

ANASTASIOS TSAGKLAS (2 years ago)
Beautiful stone church. The main structure dates from 13th century. The wooden tower is a late addition but the whole building is harmonious. I visited during sunday mass so didnt took pictures of the interior.

Arne Tostensen (4 years ago)
Interesting building and knowledgeable guide.

R Stunetii (5 years ago)
Stunning stone church with a charming slate roof and a towering wooden steeple, at a tourist-friendly location in the center of Voss. The church is very well maintained. I've passed this quite a few times over the years but, until now, never really stopped to appreciate how beautiful it is. The abundance of trees surrounding the church make for a great shade spot.

Pablo Ignacio Soto Mota (5 years ago)
Beautiful place to spend some time in a short visit to Voss (and you will go because it is in the middle of everything). My advice is not to avoid to knock on the door or try to go in. They are very nice and at least in my case, the person in charge was so kind that gave me and my friend a short guided tour to it.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Infomastern

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Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.

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Voss Church