Vegusdal Church

Vegusdal Church
Vegusdal kirke
View of the church
58°32′03″N8°07′22″E / 58.534133°N 08.12273°E / 58.534133; 08.12273
Location	Birkenes Municipality, Agder
Country	Norway
Denomination	Church of Norway
Churchmanship	Evangelical Lutheran
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	13th century
Consecrated	23 June 1867
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	C.F. von der Lippe
Architectural type	Cruciform
Completed	1867(156 years ago) (1867)
Specifications
Capacity	350
Materials	Wood
Administration
Diocese	Agder og Telemark
Deanery	Vest-Nedenes prosti
Parish	Vegusdal
Norwegian Cultural Heritage Site
Type	Church
Status	Not protected
ID	85790

Vegusdal Church (Norwegian : Vegusdal kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Birkenes Municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the village of Engesland, just off of the Norwegian County Road 405. It is the church for the Vegusdal parish which is part of the Vest-Nedenes prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark. The white, wooden church was built in a cruciform design in 1867 using plans drawn up by the architect Conrad Fredrik von der Lippe. The church seats about 350 people. ^{[1] [2]}

History

The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1348, but the church was likely founded in the mid-13th century. The first church in Vegusdal was a stave church that was located on the old Vegusdal farm, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to the northeast of the present-day village of Engesland where the present church stands. One of the old decorative portals from the old stave church still exists and is kept in the Museum of Cultural History at the University of Oslo. The portal pieces are carved wood and they depict scenes from the saga of Sigurd Fåvnesbane. Some time after the Reformation (probably in 1552), the old stave church was demolished and a wooden long church was built on the same site. This church had a nave, choir, and entry room, but no tower or sacristy. The old portal from the previous stave church was used in this church as well. ^{[3] [4]}

In 1866-1867, a new church was built in the village Engesland because it was a more central location within Vegusdal and after the new church was completed, the old church was torn down in 1868. The new church was consecrated on 23 June 1867 by the Bishop Jacob von der Lippe, the father of the architect who built the church. In 1974, a small chapel was built at the old church site next to the old cemetery. ^{[5] [4]}

Media gallery

• 
  View of the portal from the Vegusdal stave church
• 
  View of the portal from the Vegusdal stave church
• 
  View of the portal from the Vegusdal stave church
• 
  Small chapel built in 1974 on the site of the old church

See also

• List of churches in Agder og Telemark

References

1. "Vegusdal kyrkje". Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
2. "Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker" (in Norwegian). KirkeKonsulenten.no. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
3. "Vegusdal gamle kirkested" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage . Retrieved 16 January 2021.
4. "Vegusdal kirke". Norges-Kirker.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 16 January 2021.
5. "Vegusdal kirkested / Vegusdal kirke 3" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage . Retrieved 16 January 2021.