Årdal Church (Vestland)


Årdal Church is a parish church in Årdal Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Årdalstangen, at the end of the Årdalsfjorden. It is the church for the Nedre Årdal parish which is part of the Sogn prosti in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The red, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1867 using designs by the architect Christian Christie. The church seats about 400 people.

History

The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1322, but the church was not new that year. The first church was likely a stave church that was constructed between 1150 and 1200. Over the centuries the church was renovated and expanded as well as the addition of a tower on the west end. In the 1800s, the nave measured with a narrower choir measuring.
In 1860s, the church was deemed to be too small for the parish and in need of repair, so a new church was built several meters to the east of the old church and then the old church was torn down. During the demolition of the old church, workers found medieval coins under the church which have helped to date the original construction of the church. The new building was consecrated on 19 December 1867 by the local parish priest Lauritz Andreas Hald.

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