Fitjar Church


Fitjar Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Fitjar Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Fitjar. It is the church for the Fitjar parish which is part of the Sunnhordland prosti in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1867 using designs by the architect John O. Kaarhus from Skånevik. The church seats about 425 people.

History

The first church at Fitjar was probably built in the middle ages in the early 1100s, not long after the Old Moster Church was built since the two churches had similar designs. The medieval church was built of stone and it probably did not have a steeple. The main part of the church was approximately. Prior to 1862, Fitjar Church was an annex to the large parish of Stord. In 1862, Fitjar was split off to form its own parish. At that time, it was decided that the old church was too small for the new parish. In 1867, the old church was torn down and a new wooden church was built immediately to the south of the old stone church. Stone from the old church was used in building the foundation for the new church. There were also many items from the old church that were kept and are still used in the new church including the old altarpiece, some brass candlesticks, and the baptismal font.

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