Old Aker Church
Encyclopedia
Old Aker Church is a medieval church located in Oslo
. An active parish, the church is the oldest existing building in Oslo.
and constructed from limestone
. The church has a baroque
pulpit
and baptismal font
from 1715. The tower is built in 1861. It is believed to have been erected by king Olav Kyrre in 1080 as a church for all of Vingulmark
. The grounds of Old Aker Church were originally likely the place of the regional thing
.
The church has been pillaged and ravaged by fire several times. The oldest part of the surrounding churchyard dates back to the 12th century. The church sits on top of the Telthusbakken hill and is located centrally in the borough of St. Hanshaugen
. It is surrounded by an old graveyard and a stone wall. Most of the buildings in the area are from the 1880s, with the addition of some apartment blocks from the 1930s.
The church was built over an old silver mine, Akersberg which was in use since the early Viking age
. The mines are mentioned in the 1170 Historia Norvegiae. The mines must have been the inspiration for a number of stories about the church having hidden silver treasures and even dungeons with dragon
s.
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. An active parish, the church is the oldest existing building in Oslo.
History
Old Aker Church was built as a three-naved Roman-style basilicaBasilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
and constructed from limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. The church has a baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
and baptismal font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
from 1715. The tower is built in 1861. It is believed to have been erected by king Olav Kyrre in 1080 as a church for all of Vingulmark
Vingulmark
Vingulmark is the old name for the area in Norway which today makes up the counties of Østfold, western parts of Akershus , and eastern parts of Buskerud , and includes the site of Norway's capital, Oslo...
. The grounds of Old Aker Church were originally likely the place of the regional thing
Thing (assembly)
A thing was the governing assembly in Germanic and introduced into some Celtic societies, made up of the free people of the community and presided by lawspeakers, meeting in a place called a thingstead...
.
The church has been pillaged and ravaged by fire several times. The oldest part of the surrounding churchyard dates back to the 12th century. The church sits on top of the Telthusbakken hill and is located centrally in the borough of St. Hanshaugen
St. Hanshaugen
St. Hanshaugen is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway.-Area:It has a triangular shape, with its northern border just north of the buildings of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation and Ullevål University Hospital, and south of the University of Oslo campus at Blindern...
. It is surrounded by an old graveyard and a stone wall. Most of the buildings in the area are from the 1880s, with the addition of some apartment blocks from the 1930s.
The church was built over an old silver mine, Akersberg which was in use since the early Viking age
Viking Age
Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
. The mines are mentioned in the 1170 Historia Norvegiae. The mines must have been the inspiration for a number of stories about the church having hidden silver treasures and even dungeons with dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
s.