Kyrkjebø 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 in Høyanger 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 Kyrkjebø. It is the church for the Kyrkjebø

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

Sunnfjord prosti Sunnfjord ( - in contrast to Nordfjord) is a Districts of Norway, traditional district in Western Norway located in Vestland counties of Norway, county. It includes the List of municipalities of Norway, municipalities of Askvoll, Fjaler, the sout ...

(

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 wooden church was built in a long church design in 1869 using plans drawn up by the

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 ...

Christian Christie, who based his designs on the old stave churches in Norway. The church is a three-

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 ...

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

church which seats about 500 people.

Design

The Kyrkjebø Church's architecture is based on the classical lines and derives from Gothic cathedral designs. This design was as much the result of architectural choice as of the technical requirements for building churches that emerged during the 19th century. The improvement in technology and crafting techniques at the turn of the century had led to churches adopting a lighter form and employing elaborate detailing.

History

The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1331, but it was not new that year. The first church here was likely a wooden stave church and it was located in the nearby village of Austreim, about east of the present location of the church. Around the year 1590, the church was torn down and a new church was built in the village of Kyrkjebø, about east of the present site of the church. The church had been known as Austreim Church (''Østreim kirke''), but some time after the move, it became known by its new location, ''Kirkebø kirke''. In 1670, the church was enlarged to the north side by adding a

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...

to create a partial

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. An inspection from 1673 stated that the main

measured about and the northern transept measured about . 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 ...

was located east of the nave. There was a small church porch with a tower on the west end of the nave. In 1869, a new church building was constructed about west of the old church. The building was designed by Christian Christie and the lead builder was John Alver. The church was inspired by the historic stave churches in Norway. The new church was

consecrate Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...

d on 7 October 1869. After the new church was completed, the old church was torn down. In 1920, a new roof was installed. In 1957, the church was renovated to better insulate the building. New wall panelling, new ceiling, and new floors were all installed. In 1966, the church was wired for electricity. In 1967, the tower was significantly repaired. In 1986–1987, a small extension on the north side was torn down and replaced with a larger one that houses a bathroom and other storage rooms.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kyrkjebo Church Høyanger Churches in Vestland Long churches in Norway Wooden churches in Norway 19th-century Church of Norway church buildings Churches completed in 1869 12th-century establishments in Norway

Design

History

See also

References