What architecture is the stave church in Borgund?
The architecture of the stave church Borgund is built on a basilica plan, with reduced side aisles, and an added chancel and apse. The medieval belfry close by is the only one of its kind left in Norway. The eye-catching exterior architecture is known throughout the world.
Why was the Borgund stave church built?
The brown, wooden church was built in a stave church style around the year 1200. It is classified as a triple-nave stave church of the Sogn-type. No longer regularly used for church functions, it is now a museum run by the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments….
| Borgund Stave Church | |
|---|---|
| ID | 83933 |
Can you go inside the borgund Stave Church?
Upon reaching Borgund, there is a special visitor’s centre for the stave church where you can park your car and buy souvenirs in the shop or refreshments in the café. It is only open from 1st May until 30th September and admission currently costs NOK 75.
How were stave churches built?
A stave church is made of wood, and the construction is made out of poles (“staver” in Norwegian), hence the name. Most of the remaining stave churches in Norway were built between 1150 and 1350. In the middle ages there were similar types of churches all over North-Western Europe.
What are some characteristics of stave churches?
Stave churches are characterized by the “staves,” or thick wooden posts, that hold them up. Using the same woodworking prowess that made the Vikings such adept shipbuilders, traditional stave churches were often built using nothing more that expertly crafted joints and joins, with no nails or glue.
What is the purpose of a Stave Church?
A stave church is a medieval wooden Christian church building once common in north-western Europe. The name derives from the building’s structure of post and lintel construction, a type of timber framing where the load-bearing ore-pine posts are called stafr in Old Norse (stav in modern Norwegian).
How long did it take to build a stave church?
This led to this church being for a long time considered the oldest wooden structure in Europe. A common dating of the church was about the year 845, but modern dendrochronological dating estimates the church’s year of construction to the period just after the year 1053 (+10 / −55 years).
How old is borgund Stave Church?
822Borgund Stave Church / Age (c. 1200)
What is the purpose of a stave church?
What is the history of Borgund Stave Church?
Borgund Stave Church is certified Environmental Lighthouse since 2010. Borgund Stave Church was purchased in 1877 by the National Trust of Norway (Fortidsminneforeningen) thereby saving it from demolition. Nothing found.
What to do around Borgund Stave?
The area surrounding Borgund Stave Church is rich in historic cultural heritage. Vindhellavegen, part of the Kings Road across Filefjell, is situated right by the church and offers beautiful walking possibilities. This renovated, historic path was awarded “Norway’s most beautiful road“ by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration in 2014.
What is the best example of a stave church?
The church served as the inspiring example for the reconstruction of the Fantoft Stave Church in Fana, Bergen, in 1883 and for its rebuilding in 1997. The Gustav Adolf Stave Church in Hahnenklee, Germany, built in 1908, is modeled on the Borgund church.
What makes this Norway’s most intriguing stave church?
Following on from that point, one of the reasons this is known as one of Norway’s most intriguing stave churches is because of the number of runic inscriptions. A runic inscription was found at the north portal that shows pagan beliefs were very much alive.