Fjotland Church

Church in Agder, Norway

58°31′30″N 6°59′28″E / 58.5250°N 06.9911°E / 58.5250; 06.9911LocationKvinesdal Municipality,
AgderCountryNorwayDenominationChurch of NorwayChurchmanshipEvangelical LutheranHistoryStatusParish churchFounded1670Consecrated1836ArchitectureFunctional statusActiveArchitect(s)Hans LinstowArchitectural typeLong churchCompleted1836; 188 years ago (1836)SpecificationsCapacity300MaterialsWoodAdministrationDioceseAgder og TelemarkDeaneryLister og Mandal prostiParishFjotland

Norwegian Cultural Heritage Site

TypeChurchStatusListedID84150

Fjotland Church (Norwegian: Fjotland kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Kvinesdal Municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the village of Fjotland on the northeastern shore of the lake Fjotlandsvatnet. It is one of the two churches for the Fjotland parish which is part of the Lister og Mandal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark. The white, wooden church was built in a long church design in 1836 using plans drawn up by the architect Hans Linstow. The church seats about 300 people.^[1]^[2]

History

The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1670 when records show that a church was being rebuilt on the site, meaning there possibly was medieval church on the site. Construction began on a new church in Fjotland in 1670 and it was not completed for several years. That church was torn down and replaced in 1836 by a new church on the same site. The timbers from the old church were turned into wooden shingles that were used on the new church.^[3]

The church had an old medieval crucifix that hung in the church until it was stolen in 1902. The local tradition says the crucifix was found by some local fishermen who found it floating in the sea nearby and they hauled it ashore and put it in the church. This tradition supports the assumption that there was a medieval church on the site as well.^[3]

References

^ "Fjotland kyrkje". Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
^ "Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker" (in Norwegian). KirkeKonsulenten.no. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Fjotland kirkested" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 28 December 2020.