Tingvoll church
Encyclopedia
Tingvoll Church is a church in the municipality of Tingvoll
in Møre og Romsdal
county, Norway
. The church is the main church for the Tingvoll
parish, in the Indre Nordmøre deanery
of the Diocese of Møre
. The church is one of the few remaining old stone churches that was built in Norway
. There is some uncertainty as to when it was actually constructed, but records indicate it was between 1150 and 1200. The 800+ year old church in Tingvoll and the large angular farmhouse beside it, lie on a beautiful spot on the north side of the Tingvollfjorden
, just outside of the village of Tingvoll off of the highway . The church was built here because in the Viking age
, Tingvoll was a court place
for all of the Nordmøre
region, which is why the church is sometimes called Nordmørsdomen, meaning the Nordmøre
cathedral.
and spire (added in 1787), is 36 metres (118.1 ft) tall. The 1.8 metres (5.9 ft) thick walls have corridors inside, both on the south side and on the north side. The corridors lead to steep stairs up to the crown of the wall under the rafters and then down again with the same steep pitch. It is a mystery why they were constructed. So also a balcony outside under the gable
, located above the chancel
. The church is richly decorated. From the painted walls in the weaponhouse, the whitewash paintings inside the nave
, to the arc ceiling in the chancel which is adorned with stars and "half" moons. In the chancel wall, behind the top of the altarpiece
, there is a marble rock with runic inscriptions. This inscription contains a prayer and also what is believed to be the name of the constructor - Gunnar. In 1928-1929 the church underwent some restoration work.
Tingvoll
Tingvoll is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Nordmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Tingvoll. Other villages include Meisingset, Kvisvik, and Torjulvågen.-General information:...
in Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
county, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The church is the main church for the Tingvoll
Tingvoll
Tingvoll is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Nordmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Tingvoll. Other villages include Meisingset, Kvisvik, and Torjulvågen.-General information:...
parish, in the Indre Nordmøre deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
of the Diocese of Møre
Diocese of Møre
The Diocese of Møre is a diocese in the Church of Norway which geographically consists of Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Its bishop and cathedral are located in the county administrative center of Molde...
. The church is one of the few remaining old stone churches that was built in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. There is some uncertainty as to when it was actually constructed, but records indicate it was between 1150 and 1200. The 800+ year old church in Tingvoll and the large angular farmhouse beside it, lie on a beautiful spot on the north side of the Tingvollfjorden
Tingvollfjorden (Møre og Romsdal)
The Tingvollfjorden is a fjord in the municipalities of Tingvoll, Gjemnes, Nesset, and Sunndal. The inner part of the fjord is called the Sunndalsfjord. The fjord begins at the island of Bergsøya and stretches about to the village of Sunndalsøra. The river Driva flows into the fjord at its start...
, just outside of the village of Tingvoll off of the highway . The church was built here because in the 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,...
, Tingvoll was a court place
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...
for all of the Nordmøre
Nordmøre
Nordmøre is a traditional district in the Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. The area comprises the northern third of the county including the municipalities of Kristiansund, Averøy, Tingvoll, Surnadal, Rindal, Aure, Halsa, Eide, Sunndal, Gjemnes, and Smøla...
region, which is why the church is sometimes called Nordmørsdomen, meaning the Nordmøre
Nordmøre
Nordmøre is a traditional district in the Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. The area comprises the northern third of the county including the municipalities of Kristiansund, Averøy, Tingvoll, Surnadal, Rindal, Aure, Halsa, Eide, Sunndal, Gjemnes, and Smøla...
cathedral.
Design
The church is 32 metres (105 ft) long and the steepleSteeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
and spire (added in 1787), is 36 metres (118.1 ft) tall. The 1.8 metres (5.9 ft) thick walls have corridors inside, both on the south side and on the north side. The corridors lead to steep stairs up to the crown of the wall under the rafters and then down again with the same steep pitch. It is a mystery why they were constructed. So also a balcony outside under the gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
, located above the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
. The church is richly decorated. From the painted walls in the weaponhouse, the whitewash paintings inside the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, to the arc ceiling in the chancel which is adorned with stars and "half" moons. In the chancel wall, behind the top of the altarpiece
Altarpiece
An altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar of a church. The altarpiece is often made up of two or more separate panels created using a technique known as panel painting. It is then called a diptych, triptych or polyptych for two,...
, there is a marble rock with runic inscriptions. This inscription contains a prayer and also what is believed to be the name of the constructor - Gunnar. In 1928-1929 the church underwent some restoration work.