Vanse Church

Vanse Church (Norwegian: Vanse kirke) is a parish church in Farsund municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the village of Vanse. The church is part of the Lista parish in the Lister deanery in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark. The white, stone, cruciform church was built around the year 1037. The medieval church was rebuilt and expanded in the 12th century and then again in the mid-19th century. The church seats about 1100 people.[1][2]

Vanse Church
Vanse kirke
View of the church
Vanse Church Location in of the church Show map of Agder Vanse Church Vanse Church (Norway) Show map of Norway
58.1006°N 06.6936°E / 58.1006; 06.6936
Location	Farsund, Agder
Country	Norway
Denomination	Church of Norway
Previous denomination	Catholic Church
Churchmanship	Evangelical Lutheran
Website	listamenighet.no
History
Former name(s)	Lista kirke
Status	Parish church
Events	Rebuilt in 13th century Rebuilt in 1849
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Style	Cruciform
Completed	c. 1037
Specifications
Capacity	1100
Materials	Stone
Administration
Parish	Lista
Deanery	Lister prosti
Diocese	Agder og Telemark

History

View of the church (c. 1900)

View of the church area (c. 1950)

Given that Lista apparently was a more populous area than Oddernes parish, and that these churches seem to be built by the same teams, Vanse Church has been dated to around the year 1037.[3][4] The first church may have been built in wood and then replaced by a stone church at a later stage.[5]

The stone church may originally have been in the Romanesque style. The church still has pointed arches in early Gothic style. Originally, the church had two windows high up on the south wall, and two windows at the choir wall.[6] Other literature indicates that the creation of the church was begun around 1200, and designed with pointed arches in early Gothic architecture.[7] However, this may indicate the dating of some of the oldest parts of the church are derived from the 13th century.

The church was rebuilt again and expanded in 1848, because of an accident in the church where eight people were killed and several were injured. The accident occurred when there arose panic in the crowded church and several people were trampled to death.[8]

The choir and the east wall were demolished in 1848 and they were replaced by a large cross-shaped extension. It was during the restoration that a small box of lead with a piece of cloth was found. They also found some limestone and a piece of bone from an unknown saint (possibly St. Olaf). It was found under the church floor in Vanse Church, just in front of the former altar.

The church has also subsequently undergone some restoration work. The church is listed as a protected site by the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage, pursuant to Norwegian law.[9]

See also

• List of churches in Vest-Agder

References

1. "Vanse kirke". Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
2. "Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker" (in Norwegian). KirkeKonsulenten.no. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
3. "Vanse kirke bygget i 1037" (in Norwegian). Farsund kirkelege fellesråd.
4. Muri, Sigurd (1971). Norske kyrkjer (in Norwegian). Oslo. p. 114.
5. Brekne, Peder, ed. (1987). Vanse kirkejubileum 950 år (in Norwegian). Vanse, Norway: Lista menighetsråd.
6. "Vanse kirkes historie gjennom 1000 år" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 2015-06-10. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
7. Ekroll, Øystein (1997). Med kleber og kalk, Norsk steinbygging i mellomalderen (in Norwegian). Oslo: Samlaget. p. 246. ISBN 8252147542.
8. "Vanse kirkes historie gjennom 1000 år". "Den store forstyrrelsen" i Vanse kirke 1848 (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 2015-06-10. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
9. "Vanse kitkested" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. Kulturminnesøk ID: 85763.

External links

• Lista Congregation Website (in Norwegian)