Høvåg 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
Lillesand Municipality
Lillesand () is List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Agder counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Southern Norway, Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality ...
in
Agder
Agder is a counties of Norway, county () and districts of Norway, traditional region in the southern part of Norway and is coextensive with the Southern Norway region. The county was established on 1 January 2020, when the old Vest-Agder and Au ...
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
Høvåg. It is the church for the Høvåg
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
Vest-Nedenes 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 Agder og Telemark. The white, stone church was built in a
cruciform
A cruciform is a physical manifestation resembling a common cross or Christian cross. These include architectural shapes, biology, art, and design.
Cruciform architectural plan
Christian churches are commonly described as having a cruciform ...
design around the year 1100 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 315 people.
History
The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1416, but the church was likely old by then. The first church on the site was likely a
Romanesque stone church that was built around the year 1100. The church was about long at the time of its construction.
In 1767, the church was enlarged by adding on to the east and west ends of the building, about doubling the length of the building. In 1828, the church was renovated and enlarged by adding a wing to the north which became the main
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 ...
for the church, with cross-arms going to the east and west. The new design of the building then had the
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 ...
located in the intersection of the three wings of the T-shaped church. At the same time, a
sacristy
A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.
The sacristy is us ...
was also added along the south side of the building. In 1831, the church was enlarged again to the west, by adding a wooden structure with a tower and steeple on top.
Around 1900, the church received a new entry porch at the end of the northern cross arm. This small addition was described in 1912 as tacky and dilapidated, and in 1913 it was torn down and rebuilt. The interior was significantly changed around 1900. In 1960, the addition from 1831 (under the tower) was converted into meeting rooms and a baptismal sacristy. In 1998, there was a bathroom built along the south side.
Altarpiece
The
altarpiece
An altarpiece is a painting or sculpture, including relief, of religious subject matter made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting or sculpture, ...
is a
triptych
A triptych ( ) is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided into three sections, or three carved panels that are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all m ...
from about 1620 by an unknown artist. It represents ''faith, hope and love''. The center part of the altarpiece represents the resurrected Christ (''love''). To the left is the woman Fides (''faith'') with a cross and a lime in her hands. The woman to the right is Spes (''hope'') who has a bird in her hand.
Media gallery
Høvåg kirke, Aust-Agder - Riksantikvaren-T197 01 0009.jpg, Historic view of the building
Høvåg kirkes altertavle T197 01 0010.jpg, View of the altarpiece
See also
*
List of churches in Agder og Telemark
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hovaag Church
Lillesand
Churches in Agder
Stone churches in Norway
Cruciform churches in Norway
12th-century churches in Norway
12th-century establishments in Norway