Øye Stave Church


Øye Stave Church is a triple nave stave church situated in the village of Øye in the municipality of Vang in Innlandet county, Norway.

History

Øye Stave Church is one of the smallest and oldest remaining stave churches in Norway. The church is commonly believed to dates from the second half of the 12th century and is mentioned for the first time in 1347. The church was first situated next to the lake Vangsmjøse in Øye. The river Rødøla would flood almost every spring and grave sites would be disturbed. As a result the church was moved, this time to a location further away from the river. In 1747 the church was torn down and a new church was built on the same location. The new church was renovated in 1935, and below the floor was found the material from the old church. 156 pieces of the church were used to rebuild the stave church.
Architect Ole Øvergaard designed a reconstruction proposal for the church in 1950. The construction was completed and the church was inaugurated in 1965. Historic artifacts include a medieval doorbell, a crucifix from the 13th century with a figure of Christ and a wooden baptismal font from the 1300s.

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