Ulnes Church


Ulnes Church is a historic church in Ulnes in the municipality of Nord-Aurdal in Innlandet county, Norway. The long church is located in the traditional district of Valdres. It can accommodate 170 people.

History

The church is built of stone with masonry reflecting a transition between the Romanesque and Gothic style. The church itself has elements of both Romanesque and Gothic architecture. Based on its historical style and masonry, it was built around 1265. The Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research used dendrochronology to date part of the roof construction to 1265 or 1266. The roofing of another medieval church in the area, Slidre Cathedral, was also dated to 1268 using the same method, although it is believed that its masonry work dates to the 1100s. Jahn Børe Jahnsen, a conservator at Valdres Folkemuseum, has observed that it was remarkable that they are dated so close to each other.
The interior has undergone significant changes over the years. The church was refurbished in 1737 and decorated with paintings by Ola Hermundsson Berge in the late 1700s. Additional paintings were created between 1850 and 1853 by Halvard Rye. Between 1953 and 1954, the interior was restored under the direction of architect Hans Magnus.