Ulvik Church


Ulvik Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Samnanger Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Ulvik. It is the church for the Ulvik parish which is part of the Hardanger og Voss prosti in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, wooden church was built in a cruciform style in 1859 using designs by the architect Hans Linstow. The church seats about 500 people.

History

The current cruciform church is the third church in Ulvik. The first church was a stave church which was probably built in the first half of the 13th century. The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1309. The original church was located at Nedre Hakastad, about northeast of the present location of the church. Some parts of the original church, including the gate posts and antependium from the front of the altar are now at the Historical Museum in Bergen. A copy of this antependium hangs today in the present church. The altar chalice, baptismal font, and the largest church bell in today's church all come from the old medieval stave church.
The stave church was demolished in 1710, and a wooden cruciform church was built on the site. In 1859, a new church was constructed along the fjord, about southwest of the old location of the church. When the new church was completed, the old church was torn down. The present church is a cruciform church with a tower above the main entrance. Then new church was consecrated on 5 May 1859 by the bishop Jens Matthias Pram Kaurin. The site of the old church remained as a cemetery for many years into the 20th century before being redone as a memorial grove as it is today.

Interior

The altarpiece was painted in 1876 by Andreas Askevold. It is a replica of a French painting, and shows Jesus being taken down from the cross. The old altarpiece showing the Eucharist, also hangs in the church. This is from around 1630. The walls of the church were decorated by the artist Lars Osa from Ulvik in 1923. He painted traditional rosemaling designs throughout the interior of the church.

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