Lavik Church


Lavik Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Høyanger Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Lavik on the northern shore of the Sognefjorden. It is the church for the Lavik parish which is part of the Sunnfjord prosti in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, wooden church was built in an octagonal style in 1865 using designs by the architect Christian Heinrich Grosch. The church seats about 380 people.

History

The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1327, but it was not new that year. The first church was likely a stave church that was built in the 12th century. Not much is known of the first church. In 1594, the old church was torn down and replaced with a new building on the same location. It was described as a small, timber-framed long church.
Prior to 1809, Lavik church was an annex church in the Evindvig parish, but since 1809 it has been its own parish. The building that was constructed in 1594 was eventually deemed to be was too small for the parish, so it was torn down in 1864 and the present church was built. The new church was designed with an octagonal floorplan with a nave and a choir. It was consecrated on 10 December 1865 by the local Dean Thomas Erichsen.

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