Heimaey stave church
Encyclopedia
Heimaey stave church is situated at Heimaey
, Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland
.
The church was completed on 30 July 2000 and was a present from Norway
to Iceland
as a gift for the millennium anniversary of the first church built in Iceland by Olav Tryggvason in 1000.
The first church known on Iceland was a post church
and not a stave church
, and it was built in the north in the harbour by Hjalte and Gissur, two of Olav Tryggvason’s men. That church is long gone together with a number of other churches, some which are known to have been even larger than those found in Norway today.
Holtålen stave church from 1170 was used as the model for the church, this is now at Sverresborg museum in Trondheim
.
The church was built in Lom
in Norway, then shipped as cargo to Iceland and rebuilt.
The church has a reconstructed medieval painting. The original for this is presently at Nidarosdomen but is said to have been situated in just the church is one is modelled after.
Heimaey
Heimaey , literally Home Island, is an Icelandic island. At a size of 13.4 km² , it is the largest island in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, and the largest and most populated Icelandic island outside the main island of Iceland. Heimaey lies approximately 4 nautical miles off the south coast...
, Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
The church was completed on 30 July 2000 and was a present from Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
to Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
as a gift for the millennium anniversary of the first church built in Iceland by Olav Tryggvason in 1000.
The first church known on Iceland was a post church
Post church
Post church is a term for a church building which predates the stave churches and differ in that the corner posts do not reside on a sill but instead have posts dug into the earth. Posts are the vertical, roof-bearing timbers that were placed in the excavated post holes...
and not a stave church
Stave church
A stave church is a medieval wooden church with a post and beam construction related to timber framing. The wall frames are filled with vertical planks. The load-bearing posts have lent their name to the building technique...
, and it was built in the north in the harbour by Hjalte and Gissur, two of Olav Tryggvason’s men. That church is long gone together with a number of other churches, some which are known to have been even larger than those found in Norway today.
Holtålen stave church from 1170 was used as the model for the church, this is now at Sverresborg museum in Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
.
The church was built in Lom
Lom, Norway
Lom is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Fossbergom....
in Norway, then shipped as cargo to Iceland and rebuilt.
The church has a reconstructed medieval painting. The original for this is presently at Nidarosdomen but is said to have been situated in just the church is one is modelled after.
External links
- Heimaey stave church on the Icelandic Church Map
- A Stave Church for Iceland short note with image at NIKU - The Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research
- Official press release about the delivery of the church, with a link to the speech by Trond GiskeTrond GiskeTrond Giske is a Norwegian politician and the current Minister of Trade and Industry representing the Norwegian Labour Party in the government headed by Jens Stoltenberg....