Dale Church (Fjaler)

Dale Church (Norwegian: Dale kyrkje) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Fjaler Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Dale. It is one of two churches for the Fjaler parish which is part of the Sunnfjord prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1864 using designs by an unknown architect. The church seats about 510 people.[1][2]

Dale Church
Dale kyrkje
View of the church
Dale Church Location of the church Show map of Vestland Dale Church Dale Church (Norway) Show map of Norway
61.3623°N 5.3970°E / 61.3623; 5.3970
Location	Fjaler Municipality, Vestland
Country	Norway
Denomination	Church of Norway
Churchmanship	Evangelical Lutheran
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	13th century
Consecrated	24 November 1864
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Unknown
Architectural type	Long church
Completed	1864
Specifications
Capacity	510
Materials	Wood
Administration
Parish	Fjaler
Deanery	Sunnfjord prosti
Diocese	Bjørgvin

History

There are no accurate information confirming when the first church was built in Dale. The first church was probably a stave church. Historical records from 1330 a "Dalskirkiu" is named, probably referring to the church in Dale. The baptismal font in the present church is dated as 1250-1300 AD, so the church likely was built in the mid- to late-13th century. The old medieval church was demolished in 1593 to make room for a new church: a tarred, timber church, which stood until 1863.[3] The famous painter Anders Askevold painted an oil painting from Dalsbygda in 1853 which includes that church.

In 1772, all the churches in the parish were sold at auction and became privately owned, but in 1860, the owner of the Dale Church gave the church back to the parish for free. The parish council decided that the church was too small and in poor condition, so it was torn down in 1863 and the new (present) church was completed the following year. The new church was consecrated on 24 November 1864 by the Dean Johan Carl Christie.[4][5][6]

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See also

• List of churches in Bjørgvin

References

1. "Dale kyrkje, Fjaler". Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen. Retrieved 2019-11-16.
2. "Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker" (in Norwegian). KirkeKonsulenten.no. Retrieved 2019-11-16.
3. "Dale kyrkjestad - Fjaler kyrkjestad" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 2019-11-16.
4. "Dale kyrkje i Fjaler" (in Norwegian). Sogn og Fjordane Fylkesarkiv. Retrieved 2019-11-16.
5. "Dale kyrkje" (in Norwegian). NRK. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
6. "Dale kyrkje if Fjaler" (in Norwegian). Fjaler kommune. Retrieved 2013-12-09.