Tingelstad old church
Encyclopedia
Tingelstad Old Church is a Romanesque
stone church in Gran
, Norway
. Dendrochronological dating
shows that parts of the timber within the church was felled between 1219-1220.
The original name for this church was "St. Petri Church", although presently it is called Tingelstad old church (Tingelstad gamle kirke) as it was replaced by a new church in 1866.
This replacement was due to a law of 1851 which declared that at least 1/5 of a church's congregation should be able to attend its services.
The congregation also had a stave church
(Grindaker stave church), but this was demolished in 1866, again because it was too small.
Interestingly, there were four other churches built of stone in proximity to each other; all located within 20 km of one another. One of these churches is gone, another is heavily rebuilt, but the last two are still standing. Those two are the Sister Churches
on Granavollen.
Tingelstad old church has also at some point been rebuilt. At the west end, the gable-end is constructed of wood. In 1673 a report was made that describe the wall as brøstefeldig or dilapidated, necessitating reconstruction.
The spire
on the wooden belfry
dons a copy of a 12th century weather vane
. The original vane is held in the Historical museum in Oslo. It is believed that it was once fitted to the bow of a warship. Although the church contains a few other original, medieval features such as a wooden crucifix
and a stone altar, it is best known for its intact interior from the 16th and 17th century. The pulpit is from 1579 and is one of Norway's oldest. An altar frontal from 1699 can also be found inside the church. A unique mural
from 1632 depicting the Dano-Norwegian
coat of arms
, has been partially revealed on the interior North wall.
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
stone church in Gran
Gran, Norway
is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hadeland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Jaren. There is also a village of Gran located within the municipality....
, 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...
. Dendrochronological dating
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree-rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year...
shows that parts of the timber within the church was felled between 1219-1220.
The original name for this church was "St. Petri Church", although presently it is called Tingelstad old church (Tingelstad gamle kirke) as it was replaced by a new church in 1866.
This replacement was due to a law of 1851 which declared that at least 1/5 of a church's congregation should be able to attend its services.
The congregation also had 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...
(Grindaker stave church), but this was demolished in 1866, again because it was too small.
Interestingly, there were four other churches built of stone in proximity to each other; all located within 20 km of one another. One of these churches is gone, another is heavily rebuilt, but the last two are still standing. Those two are the Sister Churches
Sister Churches
The Sister Churches consist of two late 12th century churches built side by side at Granavollen, Gran, Hadeland, in Norway.-History:According to local folklore, the two churches were commissioned by two sisters who had fallen out and therefore would not be seen in the same church...
on Granavollen.
Tingelstad old church has also at some point been rebuilt. At the west end, the gable-end is constructed of wood. In 1673 a report was made that describe the wall as brøstefeldig or dilapidated, necessitating reconstruction.
The spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
on the wooden belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
dons a copy of a 12th century weather vane
Weather vane
A weather vane is an instrument for showing the direction of the wind. They are typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building....
. The original vane is held in the Historical museum in Oslo. It is believed that it was once fitted to the bow of a warship. Although the church contains a few other original, medieval features such as a wooden crucifix
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
and a stone altar, it is best known for its intact interior from the 16th and 17th century. The pulpit is from 1579 and is one of Norway's oldest. An altar frontal from 1699 can also be found inside the church. A unique mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
from 1632 depicting the Dano-Norwegian
Dano-Norwegian
Dano-Norwegian is a linguistic term for a koiné that evolved among the urban elite in Norwegian cities during the later years of the union between the Kingdoms of Denmark and Norway . It is from this koiné that Riksmål and Bokmål developed...
coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
, has been partially revealed on the interior North wall.