Ringebu stave church
Encyclopedia
Ringebu Stave Church is a stave church
located in Ringebu in Ringebu
municipality, Gudbrandsdal
, Norway
. Built in the first quarter of the 13th century, and dated according to coins found during archeologic surveys.
It was rebuilt into a cruciform church around 1630 by master-builder Werner Olsen and in 1631 received its characteristic red tower. Of the original church only the nave remains, with free-standing posts in the inner area.
Later restoration brought it back a bit closer to its original shape in 1921.
The church was painted in 1717, but only the lower half of the walls were done, since the ceiling at that time was lower. At one point the church was painted white within, but during the restoration work in 1921 the church interior was restored to its original colouring.
There have been some archaeological surveys of the ground under the church. The last one took place in 1980 - 1981. These surveys have resulted in the finding of about 900 old coins, mostly from the medieval times
, especially from the period 1217 - 1263.
Post holes from an older church has also been found. The post church
is assumed to be a forerunner of the stave church. The earth-bound posts of these churches were planted directly into the ground, and therefore they were exposed to humidity which caused them to rot over the years.
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...
located in Ringebu in Ringebu
Ringebu
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 Vålebru.The municipality of Ringebu was established on 1 January 1838...
municipality, Gudbrandsdal
Gudbrandsdal
The Gudbrandsdalen is a valley and traditional district in the Norwegian county of Oppland. The valley is oriented in a north-westerly direction from Lillehammer at Mjøsa, extending 230 km toward Romsdal...
, 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...
. Built in the first quarter of the 13th century, and dated according to coins found during archeologic surveys.
History
The church is first mentioned in 1270, although it could be older.It was rebuilt into a cruciform church around 1630 by master-builder Werner Olsen and in 1631 received its characteristic red tower. Of the original church only the nave remains, with free-standing posts in the inner area.
Later restoration brought it back a bit closer to its original shape in 1921.
The church was painted in 1717, but only the lower half of the walls were done, since the ceiling at that time was lower. At one point the church was painted white within, but during the restoration work in 1921 the church interior was restored to its original colouring.
There have been some archaeological surveys of the ground under the church. The last one took place in 1980 - 1981. These surveys have resulted in the finding of about 900 old coins, mostly from the medieval times
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, especially from the period 1217 - 1263.
Post holes from an older church has also been found. The 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...
is assumed to be a forerunner of the stave church. The earth-bound posts of these churches were planted directly into the ground, and therefore they were exposed to humidity which caused them to rot over the years.
External links
- Ringebu stave church in Stavkirke.org — in Norwegian
- Ringebu stave church (site has pages in English, Norwegian and German)