Kyrkjebø Church

Kyrkjebø Church (Norwegian: Kyrkjebø kyrkje) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Høyanger Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Kyrkjebø. It is the church for the Kyrkjebø parish which is part of the Sunnfjord prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The wooden church was built in a long church style in 1869 using designs by the architect Christian Christie, who based his designs on the old stave churches in Norway. The church is a three-nave basilica church which seats about 500 people.[1][2]

Kyrkjebø Church
Kyrkjebø kyrkje
View of the church
Kyrkjebø Church Location of the church Kyrkjebø Church Kyrkjebø Church (Norway)
61.1650°N 5.9186°E
Location	Høyanger Municipality, Vestland
Country	Norway
Denomination	Church of Norway
Churchmanship	Evangelical Lutheran
History
Former name(s)	Østreim Church Kirkebø Church
Status	Parish church
Founded	12th century
Consecrated	7 October 1869
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Christian Christie
Architectural type	Long church
Completed	1869
Specifications
Capacity	500
Materials	Wood
Administration
Parish	Kyrkjebø
Deanery	Sunnfjord prosti
Diocese	Bjørgvin

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 original church was likely a stave church and it was located in the nearby village of Austreim, about 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) 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. 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. The old church was torn down and replaced with a new church on the same site. The new church was consecrated on 7 October 1869.[3][4][5]

See also

• List of churches in Bjørgvin

References

1. "Kyrkjebø kyrkje". Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
2. "Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker" (in Norwegian). KirkeKonsulenten.no. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
3. "Austreim kirkested" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
4. "Kyrkjebø kyrkjestad" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
5. Henden Aaraas, Margrethe; Vengen, Sigurd; Gjerde, Anders. "Kyrkjebø kyrkje" (in Norwegian). Fylkesarkivet. Retrieved 2019-12-01.