Ænes Church () is a
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...
of the
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway (, , , ) is an Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. Christianity became the state religion of Norway around 1020, and was established a ...
in
Kvinnherad Municipality in
Vestland
Vestland is a Counties of Norway, county in Norway. The county is located in Western Norway, and its administrative centre is Bergen, where the executive and political leadership is based. The County governor (Norway), County Governor is based in ...
county,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
. It is located in the village of
Ænes. It is the church for the Ænes
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
which is part of the
Sunnhordland prosti (
deanery
A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of ...
) in the
Diocese of Bjørgvin
The Diocese of Bjørgvin () is one of the 11 dioceses that make up the Church of Norway. It includes all of the churches located in the county of Vestland in Western Norway, and those outside of Norway in the Seamen's Church. The cathedral cit ...
. The white, stone church was built in a
long church design around the year 1200 using plans drawn up by an unknown
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
. The church seats about 120 people.
History
The church at Ænes was first built in the late 12th century, around the year 1200. The stone church was constructed with a short, almost square
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
measuring about and a narrower, almost square
choir
A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
measuring about . The church has
Romanesque features which suggest that the building was built towards the end of the 12th century. The church is built of natural stone, covered with plaster. The walls are about thick. The
Barony Rosendal was established in 1678 and the church was given as part of the barony. In 1869, the church underwent a major renovation. The small, old
church porch was torn down and replaced with a much larger wooden
church porch and bell tower on the west end of the stone church. Also during this project the ceilings inside the church were replaced. The church was owned by the Barony from 1678 until 1901 when it was sold to the parish. After the parish gained ownership of the church, it was renovated and it received new floors. The church was again renovated in the 1950s, led by the architect Kristian Bjerknes.
Media gallery
Ænes kirke.jpg, Front of church
Ænes kirke Kvinnherad.jpg, Side of church
Ænes kirke, sett fra absiden.jpg, Rear part of church
Ænes kirke, inngangsdøren.jpg, Front entrance
Ænes kirke, vindusdetalj.jpg, Side window
See also
*
List of churches in Bjørgvin
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aenes Church
Kvinnherad
Churches in Vestland
Long churches in Norway
Stone churches in Norway
12th-century churches in Norway
12th-century establishments in Norway