Utsira Church (Norwegian: Utsira kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Utsira Municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located on the small island of Utsira. It is the church for the Utsira parish which is part of the Haugaland prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger. The white, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1785 using designs by an unknown architect. The church seats about 100 people.[1][2]

Utsira Church
Utsira kirke
View of the church
Map
59°18′34″N 4°52′58″E / 59.309451°N 4.88278°E / 59.309451; 4.88278
LocationUtsira Municipality,
Rogaland
CountryNorway
DenominationChurch of Norway
ChurchmanshipEvangelical Lutheran
History
StatusParish church
FoundedMiddle Ages
Consecrated1785
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architectural typeLong church
Completed1785 (239 years ago) (1785)
Specifications
Capacity100
MaterialsWood
Administration
DioceseStavanger bispedømme
DeaneryHaugaland prosti
ParishUtsira
TypeChurch
StatusAutomatically protected
ID85734

History edit

The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to around the year 1620, but it was likely built well before that time. According to some sources, an Irish hermit settled on the island in the Middle Ages and he is the one who built the first chapel on the island. In 1704 a major repair work took place, and from the description it appears that the church was then a small log building. In 1785, the old church was torn down and replaced by a new church, which mainly still stands. In 1954, the tower and sacristy were added to the building.[3]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Utsira kirke". Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  2. ^ "Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker" (in Norwegian). KirkeKonsulenten.no. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Utsira kirkested" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 19 September 2020.